Phase 2

In the last edition we described how the government had declined to approve the British Museum’s wish to appoint Mary Beard as a trustee, noting that the goal could still be achieved via a different route (Spoilheap May/Jun 2020/173). And indeed, she is now a trustee: her new bm colleagues appointed her themselves, filling one of five positions over which the government has no control. “We are very happy to have her on board,” said Richard Lambert, chair of the trustees.

In a major feature in 2017 (May/Jun 154) this magazine made it clear it believed that a project to restore and renew the Palace of Westminster should proceed as recommended by a parliamentary committee. Works were then costed at £3.5bn and were due to start this year; the best option required that everyone should move out while they took place. Then the greatest threat to the scheme seemed to be Brexit. Now objections to mp’s desire to build a facsimile home nearby at the expense of demolishing most of Richmond House, a grade 2* building, and concerns about the potential impact of covid-19, have brought new reasons to procrastinate. The cost could rise to £6bn, said some reports, and the government, mindful of its debt to voters in northern England, was fearful of spending so much in London. A shorter, smaller project is being discussed, and mps will vote on a review... in late 2021.

Citizens of Reading hoping to make an arts centre out of its historic Victorian prison (feature Jul/Aug 2019/167) learned in April that the Ministry of Justice had rejected the council’s bid to buy the site. Matt Rodda mp, who said the moj had instead chosen a developer p presumed to be looking to convert the gaol to commercial housing, urged the government g “to “t think h again… [about] a vital part of our heritage”.