Refurbishing Westminster could now cost £22bn – the same as the entire government budget for running Wales
It’s a repair bill the size of Wales.
Refurbishing the Palace of Westminster could now cost as much as £22bn – the same as the entire Welsh Government budget for running Wales’ NHS, local government, education, transport and other services for a year.
The body which is in charge of repairing the crumbling edifice of British politics, which houses the House of Commons and the Lords, have submitted their estimates for the cost of fixing the building to the Westminster parliament.
It lists three main options for restoration, one which involves MPs leaving the building, another that involves some MPs using the building, and another that involves them staying put.
The first option will cost £7-13bn and take 19-28 years, the second will cost £9.5-18.5bn and take 26-43 years, the third would cost £11-22bn and take 46-76 years.
The £22bn price tag compares to the £62.914m cost of running the Welsh Parliament during the 2021-22 term.
It is also the same amount £22bn available to the Welsh Government to spend on everything from the Covid response, NHS in Wales, local government to education for the entirety of the 2022-23 financial year.
“Restoring and renewing the Palace will create thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships, while involving craftspeople and businesses from across the UK in a national effort,” the website of the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body says.
Despite the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body only including three MPs, two of them are now from the north of Wales.
Robin Millar’s near neighbour Mark Tami of Alyn and Deeside, also sits on the board. The third is Sir Edward Leigh, the MP for Gainsborough in Lincolnshire.
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This is total insanity
The Borisites are simply a bunch of parasites taking the p**s out of the people
Don’t ask how much of their income now and in the future together with lifetime police protection will come from very dubious financial sources and our taxation burden
All heard of fake news. Fake “ancient” buildings? Charlie hrh thinks these cutting edge.
“It lists three main options for restoration, one which involves MPs leaving the building,….cost(ing) £7-13bn and take(ing) 19-28 years”
Who else uses the building except MP’s? If no one, and I don’t know the answer to my first question, how broken is it that a building empty other than workers would take up to 28 years to restore?
Is there good evidence, and not just those obsessed with the building, that it brings in more than 13 billion to the economy? If not then obviously an alternative building must be built.
£22 billion on that white elephant Westminster is a grotesque Unionist vanity project. Wales has appalling interconnectivity thanks to decades upon decades of Whitehall neglect, and to hear the sums of money being lavished on England with the pretence of it being “beneficial to Britain” where Wales cannot even fund £1.4 billion towards the M4 relief road due to lack of money only having £1 billion borrowing powers makes me more determined to see an independent Wales and the death of this facade called the United Kingdom.
Think you’ll find it was the Welsh Gov who decided to not build the M4 relief road after spending £100m+ on it. In fact at the time, the UKGov (Boris) said about building it.
I bet they could build a fully modern replica, for a fraction of the cost. This is recklessly irresponsible …
Does the cost mentioned factor in any back handers to ‘the usual suspects’?
I doubt it. So these figures are only ‘conservative’ ones for the ‘labour’ costs involved.
(Apologies for the puns – but they do seem quite apt …)
How about a referendum on abolishing Westminster? All matters specifically relating to England can be done from the Senedd. This would save the English millions in taxpayers money, and save them from incompetence. Abolish Westminster and Save England.
I’d happily pay towards its demolition. #Westminster #WhiteElephant 🐘🇬🇧
That is a good idea. Why not build a new Senedd in Aberystwyth since that is in the mddle of Wales and a good way from London? The existing Senedd could then be given over to the Westminster Wallies. They could not complain as there will be good electric train connections back to the ‘Home Counties’. The Wallies coud also be charged a good rent which would be useful to expand the Welsh budget.
Please, no! The people of Cardiff don’t want that sorry lot any more than anyone else does!
And still we put up with this? Our European neighbours must think we are so weak and cowed, they would be right to do so. The naked greed of these politicians is truly incredible. Sell the site, build anew., simple. There was no money available to feed children but there’s £billions for this, vile, truly vile.
There needs be a day of reckoning and soon…
May i suggest snother option.
Create a new building awsy from London built in a secure compound that provudes basic accommodation for MPs and offices. This would provide work out if London decentralise the governance and end.the need for second homed for MPs in London.
Westminster Palace should be sold of to pay for the new build.
Far too rational, you must try harder.
If Boris &Co keep pushing their luck over Ukraine old Vlad the Mad will do them a favour and flatten that site with a well aimed missile or two. Could be tough on them if the House was in session when the demolition device arrived ! Still it would make the decision to move to somewhere like Barnsley a lot easier.
Of course the Nation picks the highest possible figure.
>The truth is that we’re not pro any political party – we’re just pro-Wales, and want a national conversation about what is best for Wales. ****We will give a platform to anyone who wishes to argue in Wales’ best interests.****
Ifan Morgan Jones
The comments you allow on this site are deplorable
How much does a can of accelerant and a box of matches cost???
@ifan is this really acceptable? Shame on you