To think that the Houses of Parliament should be replaced

No, I suppose many people may think the same. Just fervently hope that if it does ever happen I am long gone and they don’t decide to go down the PFI route.

I can see the sense of that but hate to lose such an important historic building.

What about our country`s history, don`t you think that it`s worth maintaining such beautiful buildings? I` not bothered about politics, but love beautiful and historical things.

Apart from the historic aspect ( and a beautiful building) it would no doubt cost far more to knock it down and start again.

Do you want to kill Prince Charles ?

With the shock? And replace it with ‘ a monstrous carbuncle’
As he once called a building.

Depends on whether you have a sense of history or not. Westminster Hall has been the centre of our developing democracy since Magna Carta, although the other buildings on the site date back only a 100 years or so.

But, why worry about heritage, it just costs money. Lets demolish all the old buildings in the country, those churches that are under used, old inefficient houses and all those sites connected with our past. Lets have a nice efficient clean modern country. History is bunk.

Perhaps they should have done it in the 1960s then we could have had a nice, square, Soviet-style concrete block with a flat leaky roof like many of our schools and which would need demolishing again already.

No, it's not that old in fact as the Palace of Westminster was burnt down in 1834 and damaged again in WW2.
I agree that it would probably cost more to rebuild. (But I am not an architect.)

I am sure it is worth restoring the Palace of Westminster as it would rake in the money as a tourist attraction.

I can see no reason why the HoP needs to be in London so please build the new one elsewhere - or take over already built offices - the type that have no bars - or subsidised 'Members Dining Room' etc., They could keep a lot of businesses going around them so how about somewhere that has lost is industry. This is a wonderful opportunity - and can we have PR at the same time please.

I agree that there should be a completely new Parliament Building but think it should be built in the Centre of the UK. By my calculation that would be slightly North West of the Scottish Border in Dumfries and Galloway, though I understand that the recognised place is Haltwhistle in Northumberland, just south of the border.

So at a location near the West end of the border with good road, rail and air links, a purpose built or commandeered set of buildings to consist of two debating chambers, one of which should be big enough to accommodate all MPs at once and wired up such that MPs can vote from their seats. This is the case in the Scottish Parliament, where MSPs can only vote if they have been present in the chamber during the debate.

There should also be provision of a bedsit/office for each MP on site so that there would be no need for second homes. Also a media centre, some reception rooms, a cabinet room and committee rooms, a nice garden or park, perhaps a fitness centre, foodcourt and supermarket and temperance restaurants. I suppose the PM could have a separate, larger residence cum office, where visiting dignitaries could be entertained. If there was pleasant countryside around then the accommodation could be let out to tourists during the long Summer recess.

Hand over the Palace of Westminster to the National Trust and they could fund-raise to pay for renovations. Job Done.

I agree, GracesGran.

By all means restore/renovate the building as a tourist attraction, but let's have a brand new, fit-for-purpose Parliament building somewhere in the centre of the country. A modern building with modern working practices, and with very basic accommodation for all MPs built on or around the site so that second home allowances and related abuses are a thing of the past.

You beat me to it, Granny , though my plan would see the new place much further south than yours - I would put it just north of Birmingham

But the centre of our country isn't Birmingham, what about NI and Wales ?

Rebuild it in Hull. That will solve our transport links because they'd have to upgrade them. Also because we're in the North of England the 'northern powerhouse' would become a reality although the South East would suffer.

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.

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.

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

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)

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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?