POLITICIANS are being urged to act as the cost of upkeep to the Houses of Parliament spirals out of control.
Figures from a parliamentary report show the move to create — and now shut down — a “Restoration and Renewal” sponsor body, whose recommendations were not taken, seems to have wasted over £100 million.
MPs first planned to move in 2018, but changed their minds and created the R&R body. Day-to-day repairs are thought to cost £2 million a week, with regular fire hazards.
MP Chris Bryant blamed “political meddling and shilly-shally nonsense” for delays, calling them “infuriating and irresponsible”. Historic England told us: “There is a serious need for repairs… The later they are left, the more expensive they become”. Will Truss or Sunak get the hard hats on?
Number 10, Lisa’s den?
WITH Labour fighting strikes, should Sir Keir Starmer also have his eye on Lisa Nandy? The shadow Levelling Up secretary has done a profile with the New Statesman this week. In it, she quotes the mother of a friend who believes she could be leader, and jokes during a game of Bingo: “Number Ten, that’s where I’m going”. Of course, it could all be in jest...
Gok Wan wants more “feel good” TV
TV MAKEOVER star Gok Wan seems not to be a fan of Naked Attraction or Love Island, telling us last night TV is “missing a lot of feelgood”. The presenter- turned-DJ said he wishes there were more makeover shows on, saying his own How to Look Good Naked might be back “one day”. Wan joked that his portfolio career, which also includes cooking, was based on proving he’s the “perfect husband”.
Prue no fan of Liz
BAKE OFF judge Prue Leith briefly joined the Conservative Party to vote for Boris Johnson as leader, but she isn’t fond of his potential replacement, Liz Truss. “She seems to want to be PM just for the sake of being PM,” Leith writes in the Spectator today. The chef would like to rejoin the party to keep Truss out, but says rule changes mean she can’t. Does her Tory MP son Danny Kruger, who was a Boris ally, agree?
Sister Act has a canine fan
STARS Beverley Knight, Jennifer Saunders and Lesley Joseph were all smiles at the press night of their musical Sister Act last night. Saunders plays Mother Superior in the show at Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo — it was meant to debut in 2020 but was delayed by the pandemic. Knight brought her rescue dog Zain along to the party. Showbiz fans Sandra Marvin, Claire Sweeney and Donna Air attended while Strictly judges Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood were around to give some pointers.
