BONG! It’s a Big Ben climbdown
MPs say they didn’t know about bell’s four-year silence and demand a review
MPs are set to review the ‘bonkers’ Big Ben plan after claiming they didn’t know the famous bell would be silenced for four years.
Three Parliamentary committees are said to have agreed on the work before it was given final approval by the House of Commons Commission, chaired by Speaker John Bercow.
But last night MPs insisted they had no idea they were signing off a plan to silence the Great Bell’s bongs for four years due to health and safety concerns.
They were angry at the length of time allocated to refurbish the Elizabeth Tower, which will silence the bells to protect workers from hearing damage. Tory MP Nicholas Soames said: ‘Tell those poor little darlings to put headphones on.’
Brexit Secretary David Davis said stopping the chimes was ‘mad’ and urged the authorities to ‘just get on with it – just do it’.
In the face of the growing revolt, Lib Dem MP Tom Brake, spokesman for the Commons Commission, said he would ask for the plans to be reviewed. He added: ‘I will ask the commission if it will look again at whether more extended bell-ringing is an option. Clearly there is a means of doing it because there is a commitment to ensuring the bells ring on New Year’s Eve.’
Mr Brake insisted that while the refurbishment plans had been brought before the commission, the specifics – such as Big Ben being silenced for four years – had not been discussed or signed off.
The plans to silence Big Ben, which has rung out for more than 150 years, even during times of war, sparked an outcry when they were disclosed on Monday. The £29 million, four-year facelift will repair cracked masonry in the Elizabeth Tower that houses Big Ben, while the clock mechanism will also be serviced. The bells will sound only on occasions such as New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Day.
The Parliamentary authorities said it would be ‘unacceptable’ to expose workers on scaffolding surrounding the tower to the noise of the chimes – and also ‘unaccept- able’ for them to wear ear defenders. EU health and safety rules say ear defenders can only be used as a last resort in the workplace.
Mr Soames, the grandson of war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill, said: ‘It is a tremendously defeatist decision in an age where the technology exists to recreate the sound of Big Ben completely authentically and on time.’
Following the public outcry yesterday, the authorities issued another defence, saying workers’ hearing would be put at ‘serious risk’.
But MPs last night suggested solutions to allow both the bells to chime and the workers to be safe.
One option would be supplying workers with specialist ear defenders which would block out the 118-decibel sound.
On Monday the Parliamentary authorities claimed the project was agreed on by three committees. It said the Commons administration committee agreed to it in October 2015, the administration and works committee in November 2015 and the finance committee during two meetings in October and November 2015.
But Tory MP James Gray, who sat on the administration committee, said: ‘I do not remember any mention of the bells being silent for four years.
‘I don’t believe it was really discussed properly and had it been so I think most MPs would think it seemed ridiculous and excessive.
‘To stop it for four years is an over-reaction, it’s bonkers. I think it should now be re-examined.’
Despite Mr Brake confirming the project had been brought before the Commons Commission, a spokesman for Mr Bercow’s office denied reports it had signed off the project.
The TUC supported the decision to silence Big Ben. Its health and safety expert Hugh Robertson said: ‘Protecting workers’ hearing is far from “health and safety gone mad”. It’s just plain common sense.’
‘Just get on with it – just do it’
IN a victory for the Mail, MPs have ordered a rethink of the ‘bonkers’ plan to silence Big Ben for four years while a £29million restoration is carried out.
How could three parliamentary committees have signed off a scheme that would have robbed us for so long of the most potent symbol of British democracy – ironically in deference to EU health and safety regulations?
Was it beyond the wit of our legislators to seek ways of keeping the great bell ringing out – as it has done for more than 150 years – without risk to the hearing of those working on the restoration?
One obvious solution would be to issue ear protectors, of the sort worn by ground staff at airports. Indeed, if the quarterly chimes are disconnected, they need only be worn once an hour. In their defence, MPs claim they had no idea they were agreeing to silence Big Ben until 2021. But if they had done their job properly, wouldn’t they have put the question?
While they were at it, shouldn’t they also have asked why on earth it should cost £29million and take four years to restore the Elizabeth Tower? It’s only our money, after all.