British Houses of Parliament will probably have to be abandoned for six years - Polidicks

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33184160[/url] [quote]Major restoration of the Houses of Parliament without moving MPs and peers out would cost £5.7bn and take 32 years, a report says. If MP and peers were moved out for six years, the cost would drop to £3.5bn, an independent report has said. The 150-year-old Grade I listed building is partly sinking, contains asbestos and has outdated cabling. A 2012 report warned the building could suffer "major, irreversible damage" without significant restoration work. The Commons and Lords will have to vote in the next few years on what to do.[/quote] Here's a report on how fucked the building is: [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i9xGG0RUoA[/media] There's now a debate starting about where MPs should move.

They should move the MPs into one of the stadiums they build for the Olympics that aren't being used during the restoration.

I wonder if they will fix the St Stevens tower while they are at it?

[QUOTE=Passing;47996760]I wonder if they will fix the St Stevens tower while they are at it?[/QUOTE] Hopefully. I mean, the "Elizabeth Tower" housing Big Ben (yep, the bell itself is Big Ben, not the clock tower) is one of London's most iconic landmarks. It'd be a blow to tourism if the tower were just left to rot.

Palace of Westminster seems like a suitable temporary HoC. :downs:

They should restore that building. Whether or not it continues to be the British seat of government is up to them, but that building is a priceless landmark, a piece of history that has every right to continue to exist for another 150 years.

[QUOTE=Passing;47996760]I wonder if they will fix the St Stevens tower while they are at it?[/QUOTE] You mean the Elizabeth Tower? Yeah they'll fix it up and put a lift in it [editline]18th June 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=Bradyns;47996784]Palace of Westminster seems like a suitable temporary HoC.[/QUOTE] A bold suggestion but with one major drawback Houses of Parliament: [img]http://imgkk.com/i/hb-d.jpg[/img] Palace of Westminster: [img]http://imgkk.com/i/hb-d.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=smurfy;47996787]You mean the Elizabeth Tower? Yeah they'll fix it up and put a lift in it[/QUOTE] Which would likely make it even better as a tourist attraction, since people like to go up towers and look out over the city. But with that in mind, tourists would probably need protective earmuffs if they go up at any of the hour marks, since Big Ben is pretty loud even when you're just outside Westminster. (I should know, I went into Westminster a long time ago as part of some old function) Still, it would be pretty cool to be up the Elizabeth Tower looking out over London with the clock face at your back.

[QUOTE=smurfy;47996787]You mean the Elizabeth Tower? Yeah they'll fix it up and put a lift in it [editline]18th June 2015[/editline] A bold suggestion but with one major drawback Houses of Parliament: [img]http://imgkk.com/i/hb-d.jpg[/img] Palace of Westminster: [img]http://imgkk.com/i/hb-d.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] So there is two of those palaces? That's pretty cool they built them to look exactly the same.

[QUOTE=smurfy;47996787]You mean the Elizabeth Tower? Yeah they'll fix it up and put a lift in it [editline]18th June 2015[/editline] A bold suggestion but with one major drawback Houses of Parliament: [img]http://imgkk.com/i/hb-d.jpg[/img] Palace of Westminster: [img]http://imgkk.com/i/hb-d.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] Shit, he's onto me!

[QUOTE=smurfy;47996787]A bold suggestion but with one major drawback[/QUOTE] I don't see the drawback, they look like very similar venues. It'd perhaps be beneficial, even, for their work to be moved to such a familiar looking place.

[QUOTE=smurfy;47996787]You mean the Elizabeth Tower? Yeah they'll fix it up and put a lift in it [editline]18th June 2015[/editline] A bold suggestion but with one major drawback Houses of Parliament: [img]http://imgkk.com/i/hb-d.jpg[/img] Palace of Westminster: [img]http://imgkk.com/i/hb-d.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] How many fucking Big Ben's do you guys need?

The soloution is quite simple, MP's should congregate on the Thames next to the buildings, in paddleboats in order to meet.

[QUOTE=RayvenQ;47996888]The soloution is quite simple, MP's should congregate on the Thames next to the buildings, in paddleboats in order to meet.[/QUOTE] Policy disputes will now be decided by naval battles

[quote]The Commons and Lords will have to vote in the next few years on what to do.[/quote] because 32 years and £5.7bn, versus 6 years and £3.5bn, is a very difficult decision to make

[QUOTE=Askaris;47996896]Policy disputes will now be decided by naval battles[/QUOTE] Disputes will be solved by Jousting from Pedalo's, the swan ones. [editline]18th June 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=evlbzltyr;47996901]because 32 years and £5.7bn, versus 6 years and £3.5bn, is a very difficult decision to make[/QUOTE] Frankly, it wouldnt suprise me if they voted for the 32 years because of how it'd inconvinience them having to move out.

[QUOTE=Askaris;47996896]Policy disputes will now be decided by naval battles[/QUOTE] I'm just imagining a man in a suit with a case frantically rowing, yelling "NO SPLASHING YOU ROTTERS" with an extremely red face

How inconvenient would it be to commute to another place every day? Surely they don't actually LIVE there, and even if they do it can't be THAT much of a hassle to move their coffins to a different crypt while Westminster is getting upgraded.

[QUOTE=ironman17;47996934]How inconvenient would it be to commute to another place every day? Surely they don't actually LIVE there, and even if they do it can't be THAT much of a hassle to move their coffins to a different crypt while Westminster is getting upgraded.[/QUOTE] The risk of exposure to light during a move is too high!

I don't think building a new parliament would do justice anyway, like for most ministers it'd be a privilege to work in such an old building. Restoring it in 6 years and reusing it after should be the way to go

It will fucking collapse in 32 years. They better just go and let the workers do their job.

They should all meet at Number 10 every day. Cameron has to make choccy biccies for everybody.

[QUOTE=Jamsponge;47996995]They should all meet at Number 10 every day. Cameron has to make choccy biccies for everybody.[/QUOTE] Nah, they should all go for the cheekiest Nando's ever.

Just leave it to collapse, it'll basically be the same as council housing.

cool as fuck building, shame about the people in it i mean it has a shooting range

I really hope that they don't move out of the Palace of Westminster because if they do, I doubt that they'll ever go back. I'd hate for all the bizarre traditions of the Palace to be lost if they were to move to a different building.

Honestly a lot of Parliaments face similar issues. Many have been in near constant use for centuries with renovations far and few between.

Holy shit that's a lot of dough.

[QUOTE=The mouse;47997131]I really hope that they don't move out of the Palace of Westminster because if they do, I doubt that they'll ever go back. I'd hate for all the bizarre traditions of the Palace to be lost if they were to move to a different building.[/QUOTE]I personally don't see how spending an extra 2.2 billion of taxpayer's money and five times as long on the renovations because they can't be arsed to move is even an option.

[QUOTE=ferrus;47997208]Holy shit that's a lot of dough.[/QUOTE] It is. But the cultural, historical, national and international significance that place has for the UK and the world would make it a huge loss [I]not[/I] to restore it.