The exhibition, held in the Upper Waiting Hall, features four of SEFF’s eight memorial quilts. Each quilt commemorates men, women and children who were murdered during the Troubles, with individual patches reflecting lives cut short and families left with lifelong grief. MPs and Members of the House of Lords attended the opening, and the quilts will remain on display for the remainder of the week to allow further Members and staff to view them and reflect on their message.

Speaking after the event, Carla Lockhart MP said:

“It was an honour to host this deeply moving exhibition and to bring SEFF’s Memorial Quilts into the heart of Westminster. These quilts tell stories that no report or statistic ever could. They speak of innocent lives lost, families shattered and communities permanently scarred by terrorism.

I was proud to pay tribute to the remarkable work of SEFF, led by Kenny Donaldson and supported by a dedicated team whose commitment to victims and survivors is unwavering. Their work reaches across Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, and it is driven by a determination that the truth is neither forgotten nor distorted.

What struck me most was the unity in the room. People from different backgrounds, faiths and political perspectives were united by a shared rejection of violence. These quilts confront us with an uncomfortable but necessary truth. Violence was never justified. It solved nothing and it destroyed everything for those whose names are stitched into these memorials.

Growing up near the border, I saw at close hand the impact of terrorism on ordinary families. Communities were targeted and torn apart by faceless cowards, leaving deep wounds that have never fully healed. The bravery and sacrifice of those who lived and served in these areas must never be diminished or rewritten.

There is a growing tendency to sanitise the past or blur moral responsibility. That must be challenged. The real victims of terrorism were innocent men, women and children, and their voices deserve to be heard clearly and honestly.

I will continue to stand alongside victims and survivors and fight tooth and nail to ensure truth, justice and recognition remain at the centre of all legacy discussions. These quilts are a powerful reminder that behind every name is a family still living with unanswered questions and immeasurable loss.”