Big Ben Bong.

It isn't what anyone else would make of it but just the incredible waste of money. Surely there are better ways.
magshard20, if we want the council to clean up the streets, we have to pay more. As our local councillor is often out litter picking, I am more than happy to do my bit. In days of yore, people often swept the pavement and kept their pavement grass at bay. It seems to me that if I wanted to pay higher council tax, I'd rather like the money to go towards helping the vulnerable, not clearing up behind the feckless.

Why should it cost anything to ring Big Ben? Surely it goes off every hour anyway.Well it used to anyway.

I think there is now talk of an electronic replacement for the sound. I will toast with a bottle of something bubbly.

Why should it cost anything to ring Big Ben? Surely it goes off every hour anyway.Well it used to anyway.

Ongoing renovations, Cradftycat. It's been silent for a couple of years now.

Theodbird- French or Italian?

sandelf ''No, no, no - and I'm all for leaving. But do it politely! - Just imagine what the EU press will make of it. Smile and leave...''

they already are- Brexit is not done, not even started- we then need to negotiate and it will be very difficult. The EU and the whole world is watching - and they all think we are bonging mad, jingoistic and triumphalistic and in a very unpleasant way. Especially when Farage goes on about bonging for victory.

The only people who will actually here the bongs would be in London - a city which voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU. Frankly, leaving is not something either to celebrate or to crow about. To ring bells would smack of rather grubby triumphalism and we can do without that.

sarahhellenwhitney Local church bells? You think those should be rung for political reasons? Really? Absolutely not. Though on that, of course, bells have traditionally been rung to warn of disaster as well as in celebration!

As Brexit has already cost £200 billion, more than 47 years of contributions to the EU, there is absolutely no point in wasting any more money ringing bells.

January 31st just marks the start of Brexit - it will be sometime before it is complete!

What a waste of money!

hear not 'here'. Damn phone!

I will be there if the bell is going ring. If not, a party where there will a lot of British sparkling wine ???

Perhaps - given that Brexit allegedly means millions extra going into the NHS - the money could be donated to this cause instead of a ring of BB to mark the start of this wonderful new future for health funding?

Big Ben is a national institution. As a nation, half of us won't be celebrating our departure from the EU so this has to be insensitivity at the least and quite possibly aggravation.

It would be so much better if people didn't drop the litter in the first place - I see photos on 'Facebook' of the area that I grew up and there isn't a single piece of litter in the streets.

As for Big Ben, the wonderful 'bongs' are the background music of London, and our nation. I am at a loss to see how it can possibly cost half a million for ten bongs, but hey ho - someone is hoping for some extra good overtime to flick a few switches, and I don't think we should be 'ripped off' . Perhaps, as had been suggested, a recording? We do need something to mark the end of the years of wrangling, which I for one will be celebrating. Free at last!

Waste of money......make donations to the poor or even support buses in rural areas.
Do something constructive with the money to celebrate leaving...though I do wonder if celebrate is the right word....

My point was that if money was to be raised then it would be better used for something worthwhile. All that money for the sake of replacing the ‘bong’. which will then have to be taken out again.
Personally I won’t be celebrating anyway.

Demeaning and crass.
How much lower can this country go?
Oh yes, I forget....prepare to become the 51st state.

We're a free country, those who wish to celebrate can, and those who don't wish to celebrate don't have to. Me? I'll be partying "like it's 1999" . Break out the bubbly!

i thought it rang on New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Day!
How much did it cost for those two occasions???

I shall raise a glass to the freedom we will be getting from Brussels. No more interference from the EU. I don't think we need to pay money to ring bells for the great liberation. Just being liberated will be enough. I agree the money could be better spent.

What an utter waste of money, is this because Big Ben is out of action at present! Did it not ring on New Years Eve and that didnt cost, why should it cost now.Donations should go to a worthy course,what about helping people in Australia whre they really need help, and certainly wouldnt bother if they didnt hear or see Big Ben on the B day.This is beyond my comprehension.

Definitely not!! Not in my name, now or ever. I cannot understand why people want to leave the EU. Before Mr Farage opened his mouth, there was no mention of leaving. No return to The Empire for me thank you and do not waste public funds on something so divisive!!
Shameful country we are becoming in some sectors!!!

There have been Euro sceptics, long before Mr Farage appeared.

In Government.

Some of us won't want to celebrate; it'll be a death knell