Houses of Parliament to undergo £4 billion restorations

[Curious Orange]

Furthermore, £4 billion seems an incredible amount of money for an internal refit.

It's not just an internal refit, the building needs a lot of structural work doing too.

 

[ManOfSussex]

iirc they'e looked at a number of options, this is probably the best/cost effective option.

I recall reading a few years ago that realistically the only other possibility was a site in the Covent Garden area. Whitehall, Downing Street and everything else made even moving to east London a non-starter according to what I read.

I read that there is an Islamic bond on the Richmond House building, but parliamentary lawyers have found a loop-hole so MP's can still drink and put in on expenses though.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

We were fortunate to do the tour of it last year (as well as to the top of big ben)

Stunning building and amazing to walk around. I got to see the queens toilet.

 

[fat old seagull]

I once read that when the old parliament burned down in 1834, the crowd of people watching all cheered.

I take it the MPs were trapped inside?

 

[Pavilionaire]

It's not just an internal refit, the building needs a lot of structural work doing too.

I get that but £4 billion?!? It's an insane amount of money.

 

[drew]

London is the capital of this country and surely it's about time those in the north with a big chip on their shoulder get over it. What happens if it moves to Manchester, won't those in the West Country get jealous, or those in the North East etc etc. You can't please all the people all the time. This country has a magnificent heritage which we should try and preserve. The reason it is going to cost £4b is that not enough has been spent on it over the previous years. Bad planning.

 

[Danny-Boy]

I recall reading a few years ago that realistically the only other possibility was a site in the Covent Garden area. Whitehall, Downing Street and everything else made even moving to east London a non-starter according to what I read.

I read that there is an Islamic bond on the Richmond House building, but parliamentary lawyers have found a loop-hole so MP's can still drink and put in on expenses though.

Plus non-EEC rentboys I assume from now on?

 

[Danny-Boy]

I take it the MPs were trapped inside?

Turner painted it "live".

 

[Curious Orange]

I get that but £4 billion?!? It's an insane amount of money.

It's only four thousand million pounds... A proper billion would be a truly insane amount of money

 

[Badger]

I bet they only got ONE quote. They need to shop around.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Agree with the above posts. I would not only move parliament out of Westminster, I'd move it out of London altogether.

Why? It is the capital city.

 

[el punal]

I once read that when the old parliament burned down in 1834, the crowd of people watching all cheered.

I bet that had Guy Fawkes chuckling in his grave - " If at first you don't succeed, try, try, and try again."

 

[Triggaaar]

 

[symyjym]

Sell it, dismantle it and rebuild somewhere else, like Vegas. Then build something new with a bigger Ben.

 

[GT49er]

Why? It is the capital city.

Irrelevant. The seat of the legislature can be anywhere - it doesn't have to be in the capital city - which is in any case over-crowded and over-priced. If they do relocate to the midlands or 'oop north', I would hope they would build a few hundred reasonable, but not luxurious flats, which would be allocated to MPs needing a second home for the duration of their office - none of this making a fortune on second homes and expenses nonsense.
The buildings at Westminster are magnificent, though, and need to be preserved - that won't be cheap, so there is a need to think of a useful purpose for them - I'm sure they're not fit for their current purpose in this day and age - an awful lot has changed since the Palace of Westminster was constructed!

 

[Uncle Buck]

Can we apply for an EU Regeneration grant for this, before we leave?

 

[portlock seagull]

In the last transfer window, 20 English clubs spent more than £1bn on players. Just transfer fees. For one window and there are two every season.

£4bn to tidy up the home of democracy seems a snip by comparison. Move along, there's nothing more to see here...

 

[wellquickwoody]

Irrelevant. The seat of the legislature can be anywhere - it doesn't have to be in the capital city - which is in any case over-crowded and over-priced. If they do relocate to the midlands or 'oop north', I would hope they would build a few hundred reasonable, but not luxurious flats, which would be allocated to MPs needing a second home for the duration of their office - none of this making a fortune on second homes and expenses nonsense.
The buildings at Westminster are magnificent, though, and need to be preserved - that won't be cheap, so there is a need to think of a useful purpose for them - I'm sure they're not fit for their current purpose in this day and age - an awful lot has changed since the Palace of Westminster was constructed!

Of course the legislative process can be done outside the capital. Just like the Queen's HQ could be in Telford, but it isn't, and the BBC could base itself in Manchester, oh hang on..........

I know it could be elsewhere, but I feel our tourist industry benefits from tradition above everything else.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Why not just chuck a few grenades through the windows? Preferably when it's full of politicians, bit harsh? Ah well **** it

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

 

[beorhthelm]

Irrelevant. The seat of the legislature can be anywhere - it doesn't have to be in the capital city

it does, the location of government is the definition of captial city.