Nigel has recently been campaigning for awareness about the need for repairs to the Palace of Westminster. The renovation of the building, which accommodates both Houses of Parliament, is not a popular subject – however it is one which is necessary. The roofs are leaking and the entire building is slipping into the Thames River.
Speaking on the Daily Politics show, Nigel said:
“The reason that nothing has been done about the repairs is that no one ever wanted to make the drastic decisions that now need to be made. When this issue was first brought up, the quoted figures were around one billion. Now the figures are now three to six billion.”
Nigel believes that something must be done before the issue spirals out of control. What is more, we must have a clear plan with full supervision. Experts must be brought in since the Palace of Westminster is a Grade I Listed building with sections having been constructed in the year 1097.
On the issue, Nigel had to say:
“You’re not going to pick up the yellow pages and look for Palace Restoration Incorporated! We need a proper discussion about where to find the expertise for these repairs. Sections of the Parliament building are crumbling and we need people with the right skills. Importantly, the project needs to be organised – if they lose control then the tax payer is going to be fleeced.”
There have been calls for the MPs and Lords to move out of the Palace in order to facilitate the repairs and make the proposed 3-6 billion job cheaper. However, Nigel questioned where the quoted figures come from; there must be a great deal of scrutiny of any plans made so that tax-payers are not hung out to dry.
There have even been appeals for Parliament to be moved to the geographic centre of Great Britain, Dunsop Bridge in the Ribble Valley. But, as Nigel pointed out, the green fields and beautiful countryside of Dunsop Bridge might lose some of their charm if Parliament were to move in.
In all, the Palace of Westminster is one of Britain’s greatest tourist attractions, with sightseers flocking there daily, and Nigel doesn’t want to see it crumble away.