Does anyone really expect the Conservative MP's to up sticks from London and the Home Counties and cheerfully take up their day to day parliamentary duties in some god forsaken outpost in the "northern powerhouse" ?
I had an argument with a mate the other day who said it was a waste of money funding Olympic athletes. What a sad country we would have if we don't value our historic buildings and try to build new ones or aspire to sporting success. It is great that we built the Dome too. It isn't just about money!
Does anyone really expect the Conservative MP's to up sticks from London and the Home Counties and cheerfully take up their day to day parliamentary duties in some god forsaken outpost in the "northern powerhouse" ?
You couldn't make it up.
Labour hold every seat outside London and the Home Counties, FACT.
Not a single Labour MP got caught Fiddling their expenses. FACT.
£4bn spread out over 6 years, considering the annual budget of the UK government is £611bn a year, is the sum total of fuck all to protect a bit of history
Utter rubbish I'm all for protecting listed buildings but the money here will be tied up in endless paperwork consultants not contributing FA but ticking a box and claiming hundreds of thousands in fees it's all bollocks. It should go out to legitimate tender wirh the design specific to the In keeping of the building drawn up by a selected architect.
Does anyone really expect the Conservative MP's to up sticks from London and the Home Counties and cheerfully take up their day to day parliamentary duties in some god forsaken outpost in the "northern powerhouse" ?
You couldn't make it up.
Labour hold every seat outside London and the Home Counties, FACT.
Not a single Labour MP got caught Fiddling their expenses. FACT.
Wasn't trying to score points at the expense of the Tories but all I'm saying is that do you really see the Bullingdon brigade and the Johnstons and Rees-Moggs of this world being happy to move up north. They wouldn't and trust me they won't.
Does anyone really expect the Conservative MP's to up sticks from London and the Home Counties and cheerfully take up their day to day parliamentary duties in some god forsaken outpost in the "northern powerhouse" ?
You couldn't make it up.
Labour hold every seat outside London and the Home Counties, FACT.
Not a single Labour MP got caught Fiddling their expenses. FACT.
Wasn't trying to score points at the expense of the Tories but all I'm saying is that do you really see the Bullingdon brigade and the Johnstons and Rees-Moggs of this world being happy to move up north. They wouldn't and trust me they won't.
Does Rees-Mogg even know there's a place called 'the north'? If he does he probably thinks it's somewhere near Finchley.
All the government departments are based in London, so parliament needs to be in London as well
I imagine the cost of restoration is due to the unique structure of the place. Personally I think it should be restored, as it's an important part of our fabric and culture
Most MPs are only ever in parliament a fraction of their time. Multi national corporations run themselves just fine when they have important people spread out around the globe. With email/video conferencing/mobile phones etc. are you seriously telling me that the government would collapse if Ministers had to sit for PMQs in Birmingham while their civil servants were in London?
Think of the money you could save on MPs housing expenses if their second homes were in Solihull instead of Knightsbridge.
It would be real shame to lose such an iconic building, but could the refit be done cheaper if it was just for repairs to its fabric rather than having to also bring it up to modern standards as a functioning parliament building?
This is going to be a once in a lifetime chance for our politicians and their cronies to get incredibly rich. £4bn is extortionate but I still expect the costs to overrun spectacularly.
Big Ben is the only bit I'd keep. Get rid of the rest of it and build a great big McDonalds instead which serves 6ft long skinny fries and parasol sized burgers.
Send some money to Bexley council so that the tossers can cut the grass properly...looks dead and bald now! Disgraceful.
Does anyone really expect the Conservative MP's to up sticks from London and the Home Counties and cheerfully take up their day to day parliamentary duties in some god forsaken outpost in the "northern powerhouse" ?
You couldn't make it up.
Labour hold every seat outside London and the Home Counties, FACT.
Not a single Labour MP got caught Fiddling their expenses. FACT.
Wasn't trying to score points at the expense of the Tories but all I'm saying is that do you really see the Bullingdon brigade and the Johnstons and Rees-Moggs of this world being happy to move up north. They wouldn't and trust me they won't.
Strange list. I suppose Blair, Corbyn, Hilary Benn (grandson of WW Benn and brother to a Viscount), Harriet Harman, Tristram Hunt, Tessa Jowell, Lady Margaret Hodge, Chukka Ummuna, that delightful Labour MP and product of Chetenham Ladies College, Fiona McTaggart, Wyvill Richard Nicolls Raynsford or any other of the super rich/titled/public school Labour arses, would be front of the queue to volunteer to move to Middlesborough Central? Or do you seriously think it's just posh Tories against any move?
According to figures from 2012, global average is 146'000 inhabitants per MP (that might be swayed a bit by India, where the average is 1.5 million per MP!), UK has 98'000. Here in Portugal it's 45'000.
Jesus, what's with people being so damn tight about the public purse these days? If you guys ran the country we'd probably not even bothered to rebuild London after the great fire.
The same people who complain Britain never makes anything these days.
Also those millions aren't just going into a black hole, they're going into the economy via the trades.
Having had to go into the HoP for work purposes, I've been able to see the background, away from the usual camera angles, and the fabric is crumbling in many places. The building needs massive restoration if it is to survive.
Now I agree that £4bn is a huge amount for tax payers to pay, and I for one would be happy to scrap Trident to help pay for it, but that ain't gonna happen. Could we knock a large part of it down and start again? Yes, but that would cost a lot too, and we don't normally knock down 500 year old buildings (Westminster Hall) or even 150 year old buildings (the two chambers) very often these days without someone whingeing...
It's a problem that needs dealing with, so let's just get on with it. The interesting part is where do the Govt sit while the restoration takes place? That will take some sorting!
Have also been involved in previous works with previous firms on the Palace of Westminster. As you say, it's crumbling and in serious need of a refurb.
It's an iconic building and should never be lost. But is it practical for todays governmental tasks?
I'd rather see it be part developed into a part museum/tourist trap, part hotel/resi. The government should move into modern, efficient, new offices that suit technologies of today.
Jesus, what's with people being so damn tight about the public purse these days? If you guys ran the country we'd probably not even bothered to rebuild London after the great fire.
The same people who complain Britain never makes anything these days.
Also those millions aren't just going into a black hole, they're going into the economy via the trades.
Broken window fallacy.
Also it isn't the cost I'm opposed to but a controlled demolition would be a symbol worth far more than the cost to keep it running. Replace it with a garden to commemorate the destruction of a building that served to empower and house some of the most corrupt, greedy and vexatious human beings this country has produced.
I'm not sure that 40,000 civil servants in London would agree with you. Where would they find work if all the jobs went up north? The London property prices would tumble, sure, because nobody could afford to live here anymore! And the property boom and overcrowding in wherever the jobs went would be just as bad.
As for turning the HoP into a museum, that sounds fine, but the building would still need a massive refit, costing pretty much the same as this report estimates, so how would a museum fund that cost?
Having had to go into the HoP for work purposes, I've been able to see the background, away from the usual camera angles, and the fabric is crumbling in many places. The building needs massive restoration if it is to survive.
Now I agree that £4bn is a huge amount for tax payers to pay, and I for one would be happy to scrap Trident to help pay for it, but that ain't gonna happen. Could we knock a large part of it down and start again? Yes, but that would cost a lot too, and we don't normally knock down 500 year old buildings (Westminster Hall) or even 150 year old buildings (the two chambers) very often these days without someone whingeing...
It's a problem that needs dealing with, so let's just get on with it. The interesting part is where do the Govt sit while the restoration takes place? That will take some sorting!
Agree with you. it's an important part of our history and should be restored.
In the meantime send parliament on tour of the country as it was in the middle ages.
People complain about politicians being out of touch and London based so take the mountain to Mohammed.
A year in Sheffield, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Sunderland and Ipswich will do the local economies good and maybe give MPs a different view of the country.
Totally agree fantastic building with fantastic architecture. Generates revenue from tourism and is part and part of our heritage.
Spend what is needed rather than some of these terrible modern day eyesores.
Having had to go into the HoP for work purposes, I've been able to see the background, away from the usual camera angles, and the fabric is crumbling in many places. The building needs massive restoration if it is to survive.
Now I agree that £4bn is a huge amount for tax payers to pay, and I for one would be happy to scrap Trident to help pay for it, but that ain't gonna happen. Could we knock a large part of it down and start again? Yes, but that would cost a lot too, and we don't normally knock down 500 year old buildings (Westminster Hall) or even 150 year old buildings (the two chambers) very often these days without someone whingeing...
It's a problem that needs dealing with, so let's just get on with it. The interesting part is where do the Govt sit while the restoration takes place? That will take some sorting!
Have also been involved in previous works with previous firms on the Palace of Westminster. As you say, it's crumbling and in serious need of a refurb.
It's an iconic building and should never be lost. But is it practical for todays governmental tasks?
I'd rather see it be part developed into a part museum/tourist trap, part hotel/resi. The government should move into modern, efficient, new offices that suit technologies of today.
That's the whole point. It's not going to cost £4 billion to replace the roof and do a bit of painting and decorating.
The refurb is do exactly what you request. To provide facilities and infrastructure that does offer and secure the ongoing needs of parliament.
Apart from the obvious updating of things like decoration, electrics and plumbing and general maintenance on a building of its age the work will include technology and security hubs and thousands and thousands of miles of cabling.
Because of what it is. It can never be exactly ideal but talk of moving government out on a permanent basis is in my opinion a ridiculous option. It's historic and iconic and does much to represent what this country actually means.
Comments
You couldn't make it up.
Not a single Labour MP got caught Fiddling their expenses. FACT.
Think of the money you could save on MPs housing expenses if their second homes were in Solihull instead of Knightsbridge.
It would be real shame to lose such an iconic building, but could the refit be done cheaper if it was just for repairs to its fabric rather than having to also bring it up to modern standards as a functioning parliament building?
Send some money to Bexley council so that the tossers can cut the grass properly...looks dead and bald now! Disgraceful.
I suppose Blair, Corbyn, Hilary Benn (grandson of WW Benn and brother to a Viscount), Harriet Harman, Tristram Hunt, Tessa Jowell, Lady Margaret Hodge, Chukka Ummuna, that delightful Labour MP and product of Chetenham Ladies College, Fiona McTaggart, Wyvill Richard Nicolls Raynsford or any other of the super rich/titled/public school Labour arses, would be front of the queue to volunteer to move to Middlesborough Central?
Or do you seriously think it's just posh Tories against any move?
Trust me it isnt.
The same people who complain Britain never makes anything these days.
Also those millions aren't just going into a black hole, they're going into the economy via the trades.
It's an iconic building and should never be lost. But is it practical for todays governmental tasks?
I'd rather see it be part developed into a part museum/tourist trap, part hotel/resi. The government should move into modern, efficient, new offices that suit technologies of today.
Also it isn't the cost I'm opposed to but a controlled demolition would be a symbol worth far more than the cost to keep it running. Replace it with a garden to commemorate the destruction of a building that served to empower and house some of the most corrupt, greedy and vexatious human beings this country has produced.
Spend what is needed rather than some of these terrible modern day eyesores.
The refurb is do exactly what you request. To provide facilities and infrastructure that does offer and secure the ongoing needs of parliament.
Apart from the obvious updating of things like decoration, electrics and plumbing and general maintenance on a building of its age the work will include technology and security hubs and thousands and thousands of miles of cabling.
Because of what it is. It can never be exactly ideal but talk of moving government out on a permanent basis is in my opinion a ridiculous option. It's historic and iconic and does much to represent what this country actually means.