Category Archives: Palace of Westminster

Bong! Big Ben broadcasts to return to Radio 4’s regular schedule

Posted on by

Westminster’s famous bell will be heard live from next week after years of only occasional appearances

It is one of the most recognisable sounds in the UK, and one that hasn’t been heard on BBC Radio 4 since New Year’s Eve last year, but from next week the famous bongs of Big Ben will be heard once again on the station.

The most famous bell in the UK will be heard live once again on Monday 6 November, just before the 6pm news bulletin and again before midnight. Listeners will be able to hear the chimes again before Radio 4’s Westminster Hour political discussion programme at 10pm on Sundays.

Continue reading...

Collapse-risk concrete found in Houses of Parliament

Posted on by

Presence of Raac in Palace of Westminster poses no ‘immediate risk’, parliamentary spokesperson says

The collapse-risk concrete at the centre of a crisis in school buildings has been found in parliament.

The presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) poses no “immediate risk”, a parliamentary spokesperson said.

Continue reading...

Big Ben clock to be turned back to GMT for first time in five years

Posted on by

London landmark to signal end of daylight saving after major repair and conservation project

All four faces of Big Ben will be put back to Greenwich mean time (GMT) this weekend for the first time in five years.

British summer time (BST) officially ends at 2am on Sunday, and the clocks go back an hour, giving people an extra hour in bed – or an extra hour partying.

Continue reading...

Restored Big Ben to bong again at midnight to bring in new year

Posted on by

Clock face revealed for first time since 2017 to show conservation work and restoration of original colour scheme

London’s public fireworks display may be cancelled but new year revellers in Westminster will be treated to a view of Big Ben’s newly painted dials as the clock bongs 12 times to mark the end of 2021.

The 96-metre clock tower above the Houses of Parliament, which houses the Great Bell, known as Big Ben, has been mostly hidden from view since a £79.7m conservation projection began four years ago.

Continue reading...

Stonehenge may be next UK site to lose world heritage status

Posted on by

Britain is eroding global reputation for conserving its historic assets, culture bodies are warning

The UK is eroding its global reputation for conserving its “unparalleled” historic assets, culture bodies have warned, with Stonehenge expected to be next in line to lose its coveted World Heritage status after Liverpool.

Related: Unesco strips Liverpool of its world heritage status

Continue reading...

‘No 10 was a plague pit’: how Covid brought Westminster to its knees

Posted on by

Insiders tell of a Whitehall in panic mode and reveal virus spread far more widely than was acknowledged

Westminster is an infectious place. A tiny germ of controversy or rebellion can spread across parliament, through Whitehall and into the prime minister’s office within hours. The windowless offices are cramped, MPs sit elbow to elbow in a Commons chamber that can only squeeze just over 400 MPs into its seats, two-thirds of the number in parliament.

It is also a place of macho presenteeism, where the Greggs in Westminster tube station often serves as a nightly dinner spot for some of the most senior office-holders in the land.

Continue reading...

Boris Johnson confirms plans for ‘government hub’ in York

Posted on by

PM says city should be in frame if Commons or Lords have to move during restoration work

Boris Johnson has confirmed that Downing Street is thinking of setting up a “government hub” in York, telling officials drawing up restoration plans for the Palace of Westminster that they should consider the city if the Commons or Lords have to be moved.

Restoration of the parliamentary estate, which is crumbling in many places and viewed as a significant fire risk, could cost an estimated £6bn, and the plans are still being debated.

Continue reading...

Parliament must keep grip on restoration costs, says watchdog

Posted on by

MPs and peers told to come up with a clear plan after previous business case was rejected

MPs and peers in charge of parliament’s restoration have been told by Whitehall’s spending watchdog that they must ensure that costs do not slip amid deepening concerns about public finances in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has called on the group tasked with the Palace of Westminster’s multibillion-pound overhaul to take a firm grip on the process. The budget for Big Ben’s construction works alone rose by 176%, auditors said.

Continue reading...