UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that the government is considering temporarily moving base to the northern English city of York and has called on the parliament to review the possibility in order to renovate the aging Palace of Westminster, media reported Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2020) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that the government is considering temporarily moving base to the northern English city of York and has called on the parliament to review the possibility in order to renovate the aging Palace of Westminster, media reported Thursday.
In a letter seen by The Guardian, Johnson called on officials to study options to decamp the House of Commons and Lords from the historic Palace in order to initiate long-needed renovations, which could cost in the region of six billion Pounds ($7.2 billion).
The UNESCO world heritage site is crumbling in many places and the risk of a major fire breaking out is substantial, the newspaper reported.
"The review should also consider a possible location outside London. The government is considering establishing a government hub in York, and it would therefore make sense to consider this as a possible location," Boris wrote in the letter.
The city of York was brought up in January, before the pandemic put the discussions on hold. The choice has raised questions among commentators, as the city is rather historic and prosperous in contrast to the rest of England's north, where the standards of living are significantly lower than those in the south, according to The Guardian.
The Palace of Westminster is one of London's most recognizable landmarks. It hosts the iconic Big Ben clock tower, which itself has been under renovation since 2017. It will chime again in 2021 when the 80 million pound renovation process is set to finish.
