[Politics] Time for Parliamentary change ?

[Thunder Bolt]

Voting electronically seems reasonable, rather than doing it by going into a room. However, I do think only MPs there should get that vote unless there are pressing reasons for absence - as otherwise MPs could not bother turning up at all and just phone-in their votes and ignore the debates.

Electronic voting should be the method in modern times, but it renders the whips redundant because it becomes anonymous.
Whips are worried about rebellious MPs.

 

[Blue3]

billions are spent on trying to maintain a world heritage site, it would be maintained at great cost regardless of its use.

im not sure what anyone thinks will be gained by moving the captial to the midlands or elsewhere, it will still contain politicans and various lobbying groups buzzing around.

Maintenance costs are likley to be lower as the buildings infrastructure would need to be maintained not continually upgraded as technology directs plus The National Trust would be running the building as a visitor attraction with an income.

Moving Parliment out of London hopfully will burst the political bubble and would be of great benifits to both London and the area it moved to, at the present London is in effect the black hole of the U.K.and is a financial global success the problem is to much of those finances stay in the Capital but moving Parliament will help spread that wealth

 

[Blue3]

I can't believe there is a single person who has spent any time there, who would think otherwise. (Unless, of course, there are political reasons )

I genuinely think many MPs and those in the Lords ( where retired MPs often migrate to) have a vested interest in keeping the Houses of Parliament in London after all house prices are astronomical and if it's your second home paid for by tax payers, London has good transport and of course it has all the benifits of living in a major capital but these are the very reasons why it should be moved to spread the wealth

 

[Pavilionaire]

I've been arguing for years that the Houses of Parliament are not fit for purpose. I think the design perpetuates confrontational and binary politics; the location perpetuates London-centric politics. I favour a modern building with a round chamber so everyone gets a seat and everyone can see everyone ellse, and where there is ample room for the press and the public. It would also make sense to locate it in Birmingham or Manchester.

 

[Creaky]

I genuinely think many MPs and those in the Lords ( where retired MPs often migrate to) have a vested interest in keeping the Houses of Parliament in London after all house prices are astronomical and if it's your second home paid for by tax payers, London has good transport and of course it has all the benifits of living in a major capital but these are the very reasons why it should be moved to spread the wealth

MPs get accommodation costs, hotel or a rented property - they no longer get an allowance to buy a second home. These allowances are up to £1,900 a month in London or £1,400 outside. So the maximum saving would be £500 per month per MP. There are over 70 London MPs who would be claiming these allowances if Parliament was moved to either Manchester or Birmingham compared to the 10 Birmingham MPs or the 5 Manchester ones.

Then of course there would be the added expense of shipping ministers up from London every time the Commons wanted a statement from them - of course all the Government offices could be moved out of London as well - how much would that cost when civil service relocation expenses were added as well?

 

[beorhthelm]

Moving Parliment out of London hopfully will burst the political bubble and would be of great benifits to both London and the area it moved to, at the present London is in effect the black hole of the U.K.and is a financial global success the problem is to much of those finances stay in the Capital but moving Parliament will help spread that wealth

the bubble will simply move with it. i dont buy the idea moving parliament will spread wealth or change policy. most MPs are from outside London and the South East, they can be influencing parliament as it is, those issues are not due to location parliaments. im not even sure the finances do stay in the capital.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

If they open up the old building to tourists, they'd probably make a profit on having a new building plus could use the old one a handfull of times a year to sign in new members or for the Queen to visit etc.

Create a few jobs, stimulate the economy (a miniscule amount I know).

 

[Blue3]

MPs get accommodation costs, hotel or a rented property - they no longer get an allowance to buy a second home. These allowances are up to £1,900 a month in London or £1,400 outside. So the maximum saving would be £500 per month per MP. There are over 70 London MPs who would be claiming these allowances if Parliament was moved to either Manchester or Birmingham compared to the 10 Birmingham MPs or the 5 Manchester ones.

Then of course there would be the added expense of shipping ministers up from London every time the Commons wanted a statement from them - of course all the Government offices could be moved out of London as well - how much would that cost when civil service relocation expenses were added as well?

While it's true MPs can no longer claim for a mortgage of a second home they can claim for rent so MPs instead rent out their second London homes while claiming rental allowances plus they can still claim other allowances on second homes such as utility costs, so you buy a London home and rent it out with gas water and electricity as part of the rent, most rentals show a return of 30% per annum then you rent a property to stay in full costs for which you claim back which effectively means your mortgage is paid on a second home while you live rent free it's actually slightly better than when they could claim mortagae relief mind you some expences have been stopped such as gardening, cleaning for example.

With regards to the cost of relocating Parliment and the civil service each MP would get the use of his or her own own set of rooms and office space within the complex and being purpose built would have all the latest off site remote working communication AIDS for conference calls with civil servants.

 

[Blue3]

the bubble will simply move with it. i dont buy the idea moving parliament will spread wealth or change policy. most MPs are from outside London and the South East, they can be influencing parliament as it is, those issues are not due to location parliaments. im not even sure the finances do stay in the capital.

Done correctly moving Parliment out of London to a new location would improve that locations travel, communication links plus it would provide a huge boost to the local economy the Amex for example puts an extra £212 million into our local economy imagine what a new parliament would add to the local economy not millions but billions.
One of the big problems with the Westminster bubble relates to funded lobbiests where large and its exclusively large organisations have on site permanent voices, lobbiests yet there is no registration of lobbiests your access to the heart of government is only dependant upon how much you can pay. For those who cannot afford lobbiests we do of course have the 100,000 signatures to prompt MPs to at least look at an issue of public interest but with no compulsion to do more than that as such most are put to the house late at night with maybe a handful in attendance and more often than not dispatched within a few moments.
I am in favour of a more open system of placing topics for debate before parliament one that instead of one that relies upon the smudging of MPs in the corridors and bars of the Westminster bubble becomes more open transparent and truly available to all, you can't make these sort of changes without nothing short of a revolution within the British political system and that's very unlikely to happen.

Things won't change all the time those who benifit from current systems are the same as those who are employed to make those changes, Turkeys voting for Christmas

 

[Blue3]

I've been arguing for years that the Houses of Parliament are not fit for purpose. I think the design perpetuates confrontational and binary politics; the location perpetuates London-centric politics. I favour a modern building with a round chamber so everyone gets a seat and everyone can see everyone ellse, and where there is ample room for the press and the public. It would also make sense to locate it in Birmingham or Manchester.

Totally agree and by using far far fewer words than I ever could

 

[Chicken Run]

I've been arguing for years that the Houses of Parliament are not fit for purpose. I think the design perpetuates confrontational and binary politics; the location perpetuates London-centric politics. I favour a modern building with a round chamber so everyone gets a seat and everyone can see everyone ellse, and where there is ample room for the press and the public. It would also make sense to locate it in Birmingham or Manchester.

Totally agree.

 

[WATFORD zero]

i look forward to it.

Just over £2 Billion difference between doing it up while they are there and moving them out. Very early estimate from over 2.5 years ago, but 1st result on 'parliament repairs' on Google and can't be arsed to waste more time on it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-parliaments-42908222

You're welcome.

If you look for yourself, you'll see just what a disaster trying to do it with parliament sitting is.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Happy to meet you up beside the Thames to discuss this on a high tide in the early hours of the morning one day Watford.

I'm really not sure whether you are soliciting or a whether it's a cry for help, but if it's the former, I don't think you're my type and if it's the latter, my charity diary is quite full at the moment. But I'll be sure to let you know should a space become available for a challenging case

 

[rippleman]

Voting electronically seems reasonable, rather than doing it by going into a room. However, I do think only MPs there should get that vote unless there are pressing reasons for absence - as otherwise MPs could not bother turning up at all and just phone-in their votes and ignore the debates.

Suggest you watch parliamentary debates.

Even with the Brexit votes there were only a couple of dozen MPs who bothered to turn up for the debate then when the time came for the vote, hundreds of MPs suddenly appeared to go through the lobbies.

I have long held the belief that MPs shouldn't be allowed to vote if they haven't attended the debate. How can an MP vote on a matter if they haven't bothered to turn up to listen to the arguments on both sides?

 

[beorhthelm]

I have long held the belief that MPs shouldn't be allowed to vote if they haven't attended the debate. How can an MP vote on a matter if they haven't bothered to turn up to listen to the arguments on both sides?

overlooks there is more to parliament and being an MP than debates and voting. more goes on in the committees, and theres the constituency work to be done.

 

[NooBHA]

Send them north, they could share the Scottish parliament

Sounds good to me

Nicola Sturgeon v Boris Johnson, both stripped to the waist in a ''Sumo Wrestling Style Bout '' to see who has control

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I'm really not sure whether you are soliciting or a whether it's a cry for help, but if it's the former, I don't think you're my type and if it's the latter, my charity diary is quite full at the moment. But I'll be sure to let you know should a space become available for a challenging case

It's such a shame; it would have only been a brief encounter.
I'm not sure I can handle the rejection from such an intelligent, god-like hero as yourself.

I am so thankful that atleast you will still continue to stalk me on NSC.

 

[Javeaseagull]

Reduce the House of Lords to 100 and halve the number of MPs. Room for all of them and the buildings would be good for years to come.
As someone said, “Turkeys won’t vote for Christmas.”

 

[WATFORD zero]

It's such a shame; it would have only been a brief encounter.
I'm not sure I can handle the rejection from such an intelligent, god-like hero as yourself.

I am so thankful that atleast you will still continue to stalk me on NSC.

You say the sweetest things

But sadly, no I'm only of average intelligence. Although I can see, from your perspective, why it may appear that way.

I'm guessing there's an underlying condition if, each time you quote someone and they reply to you, you think you are being stalked

 

[Deleted member 2719]

You say the sweetest things

But sadly, no I'm only of average intelligence. It's just that relatively, you make it appear far higher.

I'm guessing there's an underlying condition if, each time you quote someone and they reply you think you are being stalked

I'm not having it Watford, you clearly have the highest IQ on NSC, it's so intimidating for most of us minions.



Quoting is one thing, a regular mentioning a person is another.

I bet your playing chess, reading the dictionary and posting on NSC at the moment.

My hero.