THE RESTORATiON OF THE PALACE
OF WESTMiNSTER
The Palace of Westminster faces a highly expensive and open-ended restoration, required within the coming decade. The buildings are in an extremely perilous state of disrepair, with the ‘catastrophic failure of essential building services’ now a real risk.[1] It has been estimated that the cost of such an extensive renovation would be between £4bn and £6bn, with some independent bodies commenting that this would be at the lower end of the actual requirement.[2] Astoundingly, the repairs could take up to 30 years, necessitating at least a partial relocation of parliament within that time. There is concern about the uncapped cost of these renovations, with the budget for Big Ben’s construction works overspent by 176%.[3]
In the Spending Review 2020, the police was provided with £400 million in additional funding in order to recruit 20,000 additional police officers.[4] In this light spending upwards of £6bn on the Palace of Westminster might not seem to be an appropriate use of public money at this time. An alternative to this expensive and lengthy restoration would be the permanent relocation of parliament, a move which coincides with a new era for the UK and could be a unifying act in a fragmented nation.
Why Move?There is increasing concern about a divided nation. This is no longer just anecdotal, but has become increasingly obvious in voting patterns seen in the Brexit and Scottish Independence referenda. Backlash from northern leaders against Covid-19 lockdown restrictions has exemplified the deepening of the North-South divide.
The UK is now considered to be one of Europe’s most regionally divided nations,[5] with current levels of devolution insufficient to combat feelings of political disenfranchisement outside of the South of England. Encouraging political engagement and a sentiment of empowerment from the North and Midlands is a critical element in the healing of the UK following Brexit.
Re-locating parliament would indicate that this government is committed to a unified Britain, not one which acts in the interests of London alone. As an historic cultural centre, London is not at any risk in losing relevance, and would continue to play a strong role in national identity.
Having parliament outside of the capital city is not unprecedented and is currently managed by at least fifteen nations around the world, most notable Chile, South Africa, and the Netherlands. In the latter, Amsterdam is the official and cultural capital city, yet the Dutch Parliament is located in The Hague.
This is no mere political gesture. Moving parliament out of the South also has the potential to stimulate growth in the chosen region. It would also undermine tensions with Holyrood and the drive for Scottish independence. The SNP has previously suggested that they would be supportive of such a change.
As an example, Manchester would be a viable host city for parliament, located in the heart of the nation with its own rich cultural history. The travel time from Manchester to London is 2.5 hours, but will be reduced to just over an hour with the opening of HS2. Home to the busiest airport outside of London, it is easily accessible internationally. Manchester Town Hall would certainly be fitting as a location, as it is already used as a double for the Palace of Westminster in films!
There is understandably stiff opposition to moving parliament out of London. The associated mechanics of central government are complex and weighty and inextricably linked to the discrete functions of parliament. Given the connectivity of the contemporary world, however, these objections would not be insurmountable, and could include further rustication of subordinate organisations.
There is a strong argument that southern political privilege has become normalised in UK politics. This is a dangerous perception. As a democracy, the UK government is required to be representational of the entirety of the UK. If this move would be inconvenient for those who work in parliament, we must consider that this is a illustration of an over-centralised, non-diverse, and nonrepresentational parliament. We should not be over-protective of sacred cows in considering options for healing what is an increasingly fractious and disjointed UK and moving to a new era of federalisation.
[1] Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster. (2016). The need for the work. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201617/jtselect/jtpow/41/4105.htm
[2] Dransfield, L. (13 July, 2016). Temporary parliament may be added to £500m Northern Estate job. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.building.co.uk/news/temporary-parliament-may-be-added-to-500m-northern-estate-job-/5082617.article
[3] National Audit Office. (6 July, 2020). Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme - National Audit Office (NAO) Report. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.nao.org.uk/report/palace-of-westminster-restoration-and-renewal/
[4] HM Treasury. (15 December, 2020). Spending Review 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2020-documents/spending-review-2020
[5] IPPR. (26 November, 2019). Divided and connected: Regional inequalities in the North, the UK and the developed world – State of the North 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/state-of-the-north-2019
In the Spending Review 2020, the police was provided with £400 million in additional funding in order to recruit 20,000 additional police officers.[4] In this light spending upwards of £6bn on the Palace of Westminster might not seem to be an appropriate use of public money at this time. An alternative to this expensive and lengthy restoration would be the permanent relocation of parliament, a move which coincides with a new era for the UK and could be a unifying act in a fragmented nation.
Why Move?There is increasing concern about a divided nation. This is no longer just anecdotal, but has become increasingly obvious in voting patterns seen in the Brexit and Scottish Independence referenda. Backlash from northern leaders against Covid-19 lockdown restrictions has exemplified the deepening of the North-South divide.
The UK is now considered to be one of Europe’s most regionally divided nations,[5] with current levels of devolution insufficient to combat feelings of political disenfranchisement outside of the South of England. Encouraging political engagement and a sentiment of empowerment from the North and Midlands is a critical element in the healing of the UK following Brexit.
Re-locating parliament would indicate that this government is committed to a unified Britain, not one which acts in the interests of London alone. As an historic cultural centre, London is not at any risk in losing relevance, and would continue to play a strong role in national identity.
Having parliament outside of the capital city is not unprecedented and is currently managed by at least fifteen nations around the world, most notable Chile, South Africa, and the Netherlands. In the latter, Amsterdam is the official and cultural capital city, yet the Dutch Parliament is located in The Hague.
This is no mere political gesture. Moving parliament out of the South also has the potential to stimulate growth in the chosen region. It would also undermine tensions with Holyrood and the drive for Scottish independence. The SNP has previously suggested that they would be supportive of such a change.
As an example, Manchester would be a viable host city for parliament, located in the heart of the nation with its own rich cultural history. The travel time from Manchester to London is 2.5 hours, but will be reduced to just over an hour with the opening of HS2. Home to the busiest airport outside of London, it is easily accessible internationally. Manchester Town Hall would certainly be fitting as a location, as it is already used as a double for the Palace of Westminster in films!
There is understandably stiff opposition to moving parliament out of London. The associated mechanics of central government are complex and weighty and inextricably linked to the discrete functions of parliament. Given the connectivity of the contemporary world, however, these objections would not be insurmountable, and could include further rustication of subordinate organisations.
There is a strong argument that southern political privilege has become normalised in UK politics. This is a dangerous perception. As a democracy, the UK government is required to be representational of the entirety of the UK. If this move would be inconvenient for those who work in parliament, we must consider that this is a illustration of an over-centralised, non-diverse, and nonrepresentational parliament. We should not be over-protective of sacred cows in considering options for healing what is an increasingly fractious and disjointed UK and moving to a new era of federalisation.
[1] Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster. (2016). The need for the work. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201617/jtselect/jtpow/41/4105.htm
[2] Dransfield, L. (13 July, 2016). Temporary parliament may be added to £500m Northern Estate job. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.building.co.uk/news/temporary-parliament-may-be-added-to-500m-northern-estate-job-/5082617.article
[3] National Audit Office. (6 July, 2020). Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme - National Audit Office (NAO) Report. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.nao.org.uk/report/palace-of-westminster-restoration-and-renewal/
[4] HM Treasury. (15 December, 2020). Spending Review 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2020-documents/spending-review-2020
[5] IPPR. (26 November, 2019). Divided and connected: Regional inequalities in the North, the UK and the developed world – State of the North 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2021, from https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/state-of-the-north-2019
AUTHOR
Clemmie Taylor Smith, Researcher, The Decision Problem
Clemmie Taylor Smith, Researcher, The Decision Problem
