Now work has begun, the cost of repairing Big Ben’s tower has soared. Other worthy projects go without

Repair costs for the Elizabeth Tower have been doubled [Image: PA].

If I’m reading this right, initial repair cost estimates were kept low to stop companies from artificially inflating their prices.

But now we’re being told that the cost has more than doubled, based on “better” information.

So what, exactly, was the point of the lower amount, which was only quoted to us all less than 18 months ago?

And why was the announcement sneaked out quietly on a Friday evening – in the hope that nobody would notice?

It seems like just another grubby attempt to hoodwink the general public.

Despite all Theresa May’s – and the other Tories’ – recent rhetoric, they are still pushing ahead with austerity for the poor, so projects that deserve public money are being neglected in order to push public money at vanity projects like this. There is nothing seriously wrong with the tower; the decision has been made to push money at it in order to save cash later.

But in the light of other pressures on public funds, is it really money wisely spent?

Some would say it isn’t:

https://twitter.com/DuncanBannatyne/status/914042500691742720

The Tories are really shaking that Magic Money tree, aren’t they? Let’s remember to remind them of this, next time they tell us there’s no cash for anything useful.

Repair costs for the clock tower which houses the famous bell known as Big Ben have now doubled to an estimated £61 million, parliamentary authorities have said.

The conservation project for the Elizabeth Tower in the Palace of Westminster, London, was originally priced at £29m in the spring of 2016.

The House of Commons and House of Lords Commissions have been told that the increase in costs is due to a better understanding of the complexity of the work needed to restore the tower.

In a joint statement the clerk of the House of Commons, the clerk of the Parliaments and the director general of the House of Commons, said: “We acknowledge that there have been estimating failures and we understand the concern of the commissions.

“In advance of tendering contracts, the initial high level estimates were set at a lower level to avoid cost escalation from the market.

“Subsequent estimates, using better data and more extensive surveys, better reflect the true likelihood of the costs.”

Read more: Repair costs for Elizabeth Tower which houses Big Ben double to estimated £61 million


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7 Comments

  1. Neilth September 30, 2017 at 4:07 pm - Reply

    All pretty typical of capitalism. Mention the words “Government Contract” and the cartoon dollar signs start spinning in their eyes and prices double. It’s a law like the one for computers which double in power every six months. Still it’s lucky their saving so much money on not paying for health, housing or education let alone vital benefits.

  2. Barry Davies September 30, 2017 at 5:11 pm - Reply

    It’s the government, when has any government contract with a private company actually been brought in on budget, it seems to be pointless to accept any claim by any government about the costs of anything prior to commencement.

  3. Roy Beiley September 30, 2017 at 5:23 pm - Reply

    Does that mean that work on Buck House will be affected? No, of course not. I am suprised that they haven’t suggested using Lottery money as it is for a “good cause” after all isn’t it.

  4. Jeffrey Davies September 30, 2017 at 5:33 pm - Reply

    in other words a spratt to catch a mackerel

  5. Roland Laycock September 30, 2017 at 7:30 pm - Reply

    What do you expect its an american firm running it and as we all know we have a great money tree

  6. Brian September 30, 2017 at 9:26 pm - Reply

    Austerity my arse, this is enough to build 290 social housing flats, housing 580 people – for 50 years minimum! (BCIS, 2015). So when Londoners next hear the chime, they can rest easy that for at least 10 years it’s only going to cost them £4320 every day it’s working, or about the same as the MP’s morning coffee bill.

  7. NMac October 1, 2017 at 7:29 am - Reply

    Tory vanity knows no bounds. They are hell bent on taking us back to appalling social conditions which Charles Dickens would have instantly recognised.

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