Backbench Business

Moves the motion for recognising the Holodomor as genocide. Details Stalin's policies from 1920s to 1930s, including forced collectivisation and grain requisition quotas causing starvation despite ample food supplies being exported by Moscow. Emphasises that official court recognition is unlikely but parliamentary recognition can be symbolic and send a strong message against human rights abuses.

Supports the motion, emphasising his visit to the Holodomor memorial in Kyiv where he was overwhelmed by the detailed horrors of the famine. He urges the UK to reconsider its definition of genocide if it cannot recognise the Holodomor as one.

I commend the hon. Member for Mid Derbyshire (Mrs Latham) for securing this important debate. I start with testimonies of Petro Mohalat and Oleksandra Zaharova, who survived the holodomor as children, detailing the systematic starvation, deaths, and confiscation of food by Soviet authorities. It is estimated that the Holodomor claimed at least 4 million lives, around one in eight of Ukraine's population, with entire villages perishing. The famine was a deliberate act of mass murder to crush resistance and suppress Ukrainian culture under Stalin’s regime. For decades after, survivors were silenced, with mentioning the famine risking execution or gulag imprisonment. The trauma persists as Putin continues to downplay the atrocity. Agnieszka Holland's film 'Mr Jones' depicts this historical event. Let us recognise the Holodomor as genocide and support Ukraine against Russian imperialism.

My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Communities around the country, such as the Ukrainian community in Reading, are deeply concerned about this debate and its significance for recognising the Holodomor as genocide.

I rise to support the motion and commend my hon. Friend for bringing it forward. Central European countries have suffered persecution and oppression, leading them to be active in the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance. Ukrainians today face what Putin is doing, building on their history of suffering including the Holodomor. This deliberate starvation led to millions dying, with families being thrown off farms and deported. Children were used as border guards to prevent food gathering, even betraying family members. I read accounts of cannibalism during this period, highlighting the dehumanisation under totalitarian regimes. Freedom of religion or belief is crucial, but communism was atheistic, suppressing religious freedom and human dignity. The next ministerial meeting on this topic will be held in the Czech Republic to share lessons learned from living under authoritarian regimes.

Commemorated the Ukrainian diaspora in Scotland and highlighted the importance of recognising the holodomor as genocide. He emphasised that ignorance has prevented proper recognition before and noted estimates of 7 to 10 million deaths during the famine. Mr Mundell argued that the event was not an act of nature, but a deliberate man-made catastrophe driven by Stalin’s political objectives.

Praised Mrs Latham for bringing the issue to debate and criticised the UK Government's stance on recognising the holodomor as genocide, noting it is outdated. Drew highlighted the importance of acknowledging the famine’s political origins and the implications for current issues in Ukraine. He urged the Government to align with other nations that recognise the event as genocide.

I thank the hon. Member for Mid Derbyshire (Mrs Latham) and the hon. Member for Glasgow South (Stewart Malcolm McDonald), who is not with us today, for securing this debate. Their commitment to raising the profile of the holodomor has rightly drawn recognition from across the House, and it is truly a worthy subject for this House to consider... Historically and today, the price that Ukrainians have had to pay for their freedom is immense. The events of 90 years ago are an anguishing and chilling reminder of the consequences when tyranny runs without constraint and imperialism without restriction.

Acknowledged the importance of recognising the holodomor and thanked colleagues for their contributions. Reiterated the government's stance that any determination on genocide should be made by competent courts rather than governments, emphasising the need to maintain consistency in approach. Emphasised ongoing support for Ukraine including military and humanitarian aid.

Expressed gratitude towards colleagues who attended the debate despite it being on an inconvenient day before recess, highlighting the cross-party unity shown. Reiterated her disagreement with the government's stance and expressed hope that the House would formally recognise the holodomor as a genocide.