Walk through the Houses of Parliament and it is impossible to ignore the signs of decay – crumbling masonry, cordoned-off zones, water dripping down walls, leaking pipes, danger signs. It’s costing taxpayers £2m a week in repairs to keep the Palace of Westminster running, and not even that has prevented sewage leaks and vermin infestations. Worse still, “there is a real and rising risk that a catastrophic event will destroy the palace before it is ever repaired and restored,” according to the Public Accounts Committee.
Yet MPs have spent the past few years putting off futureproofing the building. Last week it emerged that a decision will be now be pushed back until after the next election.
