Comment: Parliament - rip it up and start again

Professor Matthew Flinders, Director of the Crick Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics at the University of Sheffield, comments on the repair bill facing Parliament and the opportunities for democracy. Parliament - rip it up and start again. by Professor Matthew Flinders, posted on Oxford University Press Blog 'London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down; London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady'. 'Oh no it's not!' I hear you all scream, but Parliament is apparently falling down. A number of restoration and renewal studies of the Palace of Westminster have provided the evidence with increasingly urgency. The cost of rebuilding the House? A mere two billion pounds! If it was any other building in the world its owners would be advised to demolish and rebuild. The Georgian Parliament Building might be a rather odd place to begin this blog about British politics but the visionary architecture behind the stunning new building in Kutaisi offers important insights for those who care about British politics.