"Iconic" building saved

[Bryn]

According to the Palace of Westminster site, the building cost 'over 2 million pounds' and was finished in 1870. Using the Bank of England's inflation calculator, £2,000,000 in 1870 is worth £207,726,315 now.

More than that, surely? At that rate it's not worth flogging it off to Dubai to help clear the deficit.

[teamsaint]

More than that, surely? At that rate it's not worth flogging it off to Dubai to help clear the deficit.

I agree, the 200 x seems a bit low at first.

This article suggest omnibus drivers around this time earned 34 shillings a week, which at 200 times inflation equates to around £400 per week, so it looks like the figure isnt too far out.

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/victorians/poor/workingclass.html

[Flosshilde]

More than that, surely?

That's what I thought, as well, but I double checked the number of zeros I put in, & that's what the BoE site says.

With regard to the cost of renovations, in 1840-70, when the new building was being built, labourers & craftsmen were working with the materials & techniques that were normal practice at the time - in other words, nothing out of the ordinary. Today they are techniques & materials only a few specialised firms & craftsmen will be practiced in using, & that expertise will come at a cost. In addition they will be working in a historic listed building which will impose restrictions on what can be done, and in a building that will be in use - it would be even more expensive to decant everybody from the building for the duration of the work (although it would provide the ideal opportunity for Parliament to travel round the country).

[Petrushka]

Pity about the people in it, but really, this is a quite magnificent building and I'm happy for my tax to make a contribution. Better this than the idiotic proposal to send a rocket to the moon paid for out of public donations.

[Richard Tarleton]

Interesting discussion on Newsnight if anyone watched it - Vernon Bogdanor talking about the function, how (I paraphrase the discussion) the Chamber really arose from a binary party system with the two sides sitting opposite eachother, whereas now a semicircular (pie chart) layout like just about every other assembly might better reflect the nature of today's politics. Something underlined by the sight of Reckless and Carswell having to sit a couple of seats behind Denis Skinner while he lambasted them....Also, it's too small for all MPs to have a seat (didn't they have the chance to rectify this when repairing the damage of WWll, but Churchill preferred to keep it too small - not sure where I read that).

You could fix that by having fewer MPs.....

[Serial_Apologist]

You could fix that by having fewer MPs.....

Often said to be cheaper, but the trouble with that solution is that it locates representatives even further away from representeds than at present, which is bad enough, unless one goes for larger devolved regional assemblies. Other than that, I like the pie chart idea, though it would mean hollowing out a wider chamber than the narrow dimensions of the House of Commons allow?

[Richard Tarleton]

Other than that, I like the pie chart idea, though it would mean hollowing out a wider chamber than the narrow dimensions of the House of Commons allow?

I think Bogdanor was in favour of a new build, not sure where.

[Bryn]

I think Bogdanor was in favour of a new build, not sure where.

Thames estuary, along side Boris Island, or Salford, with easy access to MediaCityUK.

[Alain Maréchal]

the Chamber really arose from a binary party system with the two sides sitting opposite eachother.

Was it not because the commons originally met in a chapel, which had rows of stalls facing each other, rather than by intent?

[Flosshilde]

a semicircular (pie chart) layout ... Also, it's too small for all MPs to have a seat (didn't they have the chance to rectify this when repairing the damage of WWll, but Churchill preferred to keep it too small - not sure where I read that).

I think Churchill vetoed the semi-circular plan, as he liked the 'adversarial' aspect of the opposing rows of seats. In one way it makes sense, as Parlaiment has two sides* - the Government and the Opposition (although I think that neat division is relatively recent).

* As Richard said above.

[Padraig]

I know it's an overused word

Why not see how it is used in the Poetry thread?

[eighthobstruction]

650 of these should do, they could be arranged in a semi circle.....oops http://channel.nationalgeographic.co...ma_610x457.jpg

[teamsaint]

some good news on the project to restore some of St Peters Seminary.

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/310551-nva-restoration-of-st-peters-seminary-near-cardross-to-begin/

[Serial_Apologist]

some good news on the project to restore some of St Peters Seminary.

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/3105...ross-to-begin/

Not quite my idea of a bute! I think it should be recycled for use as pallets.

[mercia]

that seminary appears to be in the middle of nowhere .... but is it ? (just thinking that as an arts venue it would need to be fairly near people). I'm still not sure what function those mini siloes on the side performed.