To think that the Houses of Parliament should be replaced

Take a good look at the "new" Scottish parliament building before you knock down the Palace of St. James please!

I agree bluegal it’s all part of our history, and although the present building is mainly Victorian due to a fire then, there has been a Parliament building on that site for a very long time.
I would hate to think that a Parliament building would be constructed that looked like a giant library or health centre, and situated on the edge of Solihull or Blackburn.
London has always been the seat of power in politics.

Absolutely NOT! I always liked the look of the Parliament Buildings but had a tour and invite to Prime Ministers question time last year and was totally fascinated with all the pomp and ceremony dating back centuries. The inside is simply amazing and I learnt so much! Fascinating and educational eh? We are so lucky to have such historic buildings. Tourists can't get enough.

I would recommend a visit - well worth it and I think you may change your mind afterwards.

We are at a transitionary stage in the history of our country. What a great way of saying we are moving forward it would be to build a modern, fit for purpose building in a part of the country where, we are all told, we are planning for growth. It would take pressure off the south-east too if we moved it further north (and that is past Birmingham).

As far as visiting the place for a look round - it's like so much of London centric stuff - it's difficult to access, and travelling to London is expensive.

Then there is the idea on the news programmes in particular that refer to "The Capital" - it is not "The", it is only one of 2 in the UK - why not refer to Edinburgh as "The Capital"

Absolutely right Jalima and remember how the Scottish Parliament building ran into millions more than was originally envisaged.
I hope that the repairs are done sympathetically, because it is such a lovely building. Anybody who can get there should go and see it.

I think they are much thinned out now anyway

some who think that M0nica was being serious I mean!!

and me with regard to the nice 1960s style concrete block!

100% agree with the OP here - most of what goes on in Westminster is antiquated stuff and nonsense, and its practices just serve the continuation of the ludicrous class system in the UK.

We need radical change and this would be a start, then move on to thinning out the monarchy - most of them don't seem to offer much value to the country.

Monica there will be some who think you are being serious.

Lemons, there will be some who think you only ever come on a thread to talk about the posters not the subject.


but there will be!

correction:
locations, planning applications

It won't be cheaper because there would have to be so many Inquiries, Consultations, decisions on architects, locations planning applications, objections, more Inquiries, legal objections, court cases, objections to foreign firms being involved, more inquiries, a referendum on location etc etc, more objections, lengthy discussions on GN and MN, that it could take upwards of 50 years to decide and £billions before the first stone is laid!

Then it will be shelved through lack of funds.

Monica there will be some who think you are being serious.

Lemons, there will be some who think you only ever come on a thread to talk about the posters not the subject.

Granny23, such effort and a well thought out solution has my admiration, respect and considerable agreement. Although your reasoning for the location is absolutely fair it seems somewhat impractical. Who knows? Maybe a chunk of population shift from down south would work. I see the old building as some sort of museum and managed by the National Trust or some other National Hertitage institution. In my opinion, far too much human congestion where parliament currently sits.

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Granny23

I've been there and it is a lovely building but sadly it's no longer fit for purpose. I don't want it to be demolished but would it be cheaper to build a more suitable building and open the current one to other uses or is it cheaper to try to update the current building?

Do we need it, it has history and can become a tourist trap but otherwise it is out of date.

We need a modern place where people canstay overnight to avoid costs and but there own cheap meals and no bars.

We can do without all the pomp and ceremony too. No fancy dress, or right honourabling (new word there).

How about, a Premier Inn with a hall and decent IT. So much of what is done can be done on line now.........half the time the place is empty even during debates, unless it is about MP's salaries.

They need to quit guzzling and grizzling and start working.

Assuming that Scotland will at some time in the not too distant future become independent, then somewhere around Birmingham would be ideal and already has great links to trains, motorways and airports.

I agree with several posters. Perhaps the stunning building could be a source of revenue with visitors and parts being turned into a hotel or something like that. Yes, I have visited it and it is gorgeous.
A new [concrete monstrosity?] building can be built at another part of the UK, making Parliament truly democratic and representative. At the moment, if it isn't in London, it isn't important or doesn't exists. It would be big enough to have offices for every single MP and member of the House of Lords which will have been reduced to about 200 - Life Peers will serve for no more than 20 years, hereditaries? - choose a few and give them a finite service life.
There should be a hostel/hotel attached so that there won't be any of the abuse regarding 2nd homes, etc.
Wouldn't that be good?

Monica there will be some who think you are being serious.

No, certainly keep the centre of of democracy and political freedom whatever it costs.

Yesterday I went to Northwick Park Hospital which seemed to have been built in the sixties. An uglier, nastier, more dilapidated and disintegrated concrete monstrosity you couldn't hope to find - unless you looked at all other other concrete , square block, brutalist eyesores which have been foisted on the country.

A parliament building would cost hundreds of millions of pounds (and go over budget), gain the architect a vanity award and look like a horrible grey mess ten years later. It would deter tourism from London and fail to remind M.P.s of the importance of their integrity and their work.

The present building shows the world what democracy means and is a beacon of beauty, truth and freedom.

I have been sue and I would certainly want it open to more explaining the history of our government while the current government moved into today's world. We don't have to mark time to admire it and understand how we have travelled to the democracy we have today (although I am not sure that is what you were saying)

We are looking at the centre of the UK. There is a great deal of it past Birmingham MamaCaz

Have you ever visited the Palace of Westminster ? Easy to do, just ask your MP to arrange a Pass. Ours took us for tea too. It's an absolutely stunning place. Doubt anyone who has been there would want it replaced.

My methodology for determining the Centre was to take a proper map of the UK, including the Orkneys and Shetlands in their correct place and the furthest West point of NI and the Western Isles. Draw a rectangle around and then a line across the middle and another down the middle. Gives approximately 5.5 North, 3.5 West and nearest village to those co-ordinates is Kilpatrick Durham in Dumfries and Galloway.