Houses of Parliament to undergo £4 billion restorations

[Gwylan]

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

Not true. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam but parliament, the ministries and the supreme court are in The Hague

 

[beorhthelm]

Not true. The capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam but parliament, the ministries and the supreme court are in The Hague

fair enough, its normally the definition. those crazy Dutch.

 

[ManOfSussex]

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

The legislative, executive and judicial capitals of South Africa are 3 different cities.

 

[The Albion Roar]

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

True, but there are few precedents -historical or contemporary.

 

[ManOfSussex]

True, but there are few precedents -historical or contemporary.

Cape Town is one.

 

[Gwylan]

As well as Netherlands and South Africa, Benin, Bolivia, Ivory Coast and Georgia also have seats of government outside of the official capital.

It's unusual but it really wouldn't be fantastically out of the ordinary to have parliament outside the capital

 

[beorhthelm]

The legislative, executive and judicial capitals of South Africa are 3 different cities.

crazy ex-dutch with too much time in the sun?

 

[AmexRuislip]

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.

Allegedly the MOD has buildings in London, where not all are being utilised properly.
Surely government departments could be shifted / downsized to be accommodated in them?

 

[The Albion Roar]

As well as Netherlands and South Africa, Benin, Bolivia, Ivory Coast and Georgia also have seats of government outside of the official capital.

It's unusual but it really wouldn't be fantastically out of the ordinary to have parliament outside the capital

I'd be extremely confident that moving the legislature out of London to... anywhere would cost a damn site more than £4bn.

Dozens of government departments, tens of thousands of staff, new housing requirements, security costs would all make it prohibitive.

Not to mention the distance and convenience between the legislature and judiciary.

Given the importance of media considerations, Manchester is the only pertinent city. Any land earmarked for commerce or housing would have had it if you move the government there.


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[lawros left foot]

Why don't they just wait until we Brexit?

All those big buildings in Canary Wharf will be empty, cos all the foreign banks will have buggered off to Frankfurt,we could probably lease them all for about a grand a month, as there won't be anybody interested in doing business here anyway

 

[drew]

Where that is is completely arbitrary. It can be wherever we want it to be. We have an opportunity to place it in the best location with the best facilities. Why not consider that? It would improve loads of aspects of the country.

Who decides where is the best place and what criteria? Is Birmingham better than Manchester and why is anywhere else better than London. Imagine if it were to be moved to Manchester, Easy Jet could take over Heathrow and describe the destination as London!!!!

Seems to me people want to change just for the sake of change.

 

[drew]

Who? There should be a team of people who look at all the options and calculate the pros and cons of all of them. Economic, transport, employment etc.
Then you decide. Just staying put because that is how it has been for years is utterly stupid.

Marvellous. Then over the years the criteria changes and some bright spark says we should move again. Furthermore, who decides who decides? Is it going to be a cross party committee of MPs and members of the house of Lords? Would it be economists, business leaders, architects etc etc.

It's also not the case of just staying put because that's how it's been for years. The whole of government infrastructure is pretty much established in London, ministries, legislature. There are loads of reasons why it should remain in London. Seems the only reason some think it should go up north is because of the envy of the north over the south. In the short term there might be some cost savings but I'm not sure the Mancunians (and let's be honest that is the only other city really being considered) wouldn't be too happy when they can't afford to buy homes in the own city which is now blighted by additional airports etc etc.

We have a heritage in this country which is envied by many around the world but let's just throw all that away.

 

[RexCathedra]

Up stakes and move the lot to a vacant business park in Didcot. Save a bundle.

A nation of shopkeepers. Napoleon was right.

 

[edna krabappel]

Up stakes and move the lot to a vacant business park in Didcot. Save a bundle.

Their world does not end with those four walls. When they've finished with Westminster, there's Aldershot, Reading, Bracknell, y'know? There's.. Didcot, Yateley. WINNERSH. They've got...Taplow. Because they are their own boss, they...BURGHFIELD.

 

[edna krabappel]

It cost us all enough when the MPs were allowed to bill us for the duck houses, ornamental moats, pergolas, antique fireplaces and every last sheet of toilet paper in their second homes. Imagine if they moved Parliament outside London....they'd all be demanding a third house

 

[Gwylan]

I'd be extremely confident that moving the legislature out of London to... anywhere would cost a damn site more than £4bn.

Dozens of government departments, tens of thousands of staff, new housing requirements, security costs would all make it prohibitive.

Not to mention the distance and convenience between the legislature and judiciary.

Given the importance of media considerations, Manchester is the only pertinent city. Any land earmarked for commerce or housing would have had it if you move the government there.

I'm sure it would cost more than £4bn (although there are a lot of government buildings in prime locations that could be sold to offset some of this) but I was thinking of the economic benefits to the country in terms creating employment opportunities and re-using housing better.

At the moment we have a situation where houses in the north and midlands are being sold for a fiver (as there are no takers), while cupboards are being flogged for a couple of hundred thousand in London - that's totally mad. We have thousands of people backed into trains like cattle every morning and every evening, while cities in the north have a rush hour of about 10 minutes - that's totally mad.

It would solve another long-standing issue: we argue like hell about expanding London airports while there's plenty of space around northern ones.

And I would say a geographic separation between the executive and the judiciary would actually reinforce the lines of demarcation.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

The economy in this country is far too London centric, this would even things out at a stroke

Agree about being far too London centric, which is why it's good when organisations like the BBC move to Salford, however I really can't see the UK Government relocating north.

It's a good idea, but not going to happen.

 

[lawros left foot]

The thing that worries me is, this is a Government project, being quoted at Four Thousand Million pounds.
When was the last time a major Government project came in on Budget? It will end up costing us north of Five Thousand Million pound, mark my words.

 

[GT49er]

True, but there are few precedents -historical or contemporary.

Well, we'll just have to set a precedent (well, actually it'll be another precedent).

 

[Hampster Gull]

A senior parliamentary committee is to recommend that all MPs and peers vacate both Houses of Parliament for six years to allow for urgent repairs.
The report will suggest they relocate to nearby buildings, as early as 2020, to enable the £4bn restoration project.

Why not ask one of the big hotel chains Travel lodge, Jurors inn or similar to build three hotels one up north another in the Midlands and the third in South each MP to be allocated a room and office in each hotel with onsite conference facilities.

Give the Houses of Parliament to the National Trust they have the money to renovate and then open to the public it could still be used for the geat state occasions if required.

This would stop all the expences issues, put Parliament out into the relations and solve yet another £4 billion black hole

Great news