UK parliament could be next ‘Notre Dame inferno’ unless restoration is expedited
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Peter Hain, a former Commons leader, laments news refurbishment plans will not be published until end of 2025. Parliament is could become the next “Notre Dame inferno”, a former Commons leader has warned, as it was confirmed proposals for a multi-billion restoration will not be published until the end of 2025.
Lord Peter Hain, the former Commons leader who was a cabinet minister under Tony Blair, said the restoration of the Paris cathedral showed how fast work could be done when politicians acted decisively. He said that the confirmation by Lord Gardiner, the senior deputy speaker in the Lords, that the new plans would only be available later in the year were “another kick of the can further down the road”.
“The mother of parliaments, a world heritage site, is ripe for becoming a Notre Dame inferno unless MPs and peers act immediately,” he told the Guardian. “Both houses made their decision to decant, repair and modernise many years ago. Yet the procrastination goes on despite the assessment that decanting is the cheaper option. It would save billions. President Macron acted decisively to rebuild and restore Notre Dame. We should do the same with Westminster.”.
The proposals will include plans for three options: a full decant of the Palace of Westminster; a continued presence in the building for some parliamentarians; or a rolling programme of enhanced maintenance and improvement. A vote is expected on the plans in both houses when they are finally delivered. MPs, peers and senior parliamentary officials are bitterly divided on the best way to proceed with the extensive necessary works to the Victorian building. There have been dire warnings about the risks of falling masonry, potentially devastating floods and the fire risks of decades-old electrical wiring.
