REMAINER ‘STITCH-UP’ OVER BIG BEN BONGS
Cabinet Minister reveals plot to inflate cost of ringing in Brexit Day and scuppering celebrations
SENIOR ministers are blaming a Remainer plot among parliamentary chiefs for silencing Big Ben on Brexit night, the Daily Express has learned.
They claim anti-Brexit members of the House of Commons Commission exaggerated the estimated cost of temporarily reactivating Westminster’s iconic bell in a killjoy attempt to undermine celebrations of the UK’s departure from the EU at the end of the month.
A Cabinet minister said: “They just want to stop us marking this historic moment properly.” The accusation was made as Brexiteers scrambled to try to raise up to £500,000 and a crowdfunding campaign was launched to ensure Big Ben’s famous bongs ring out at 11pm on January 31 when the country is set to
formally leave the EU. Veteran Eurosceptics in the Government are understood to be frustrated by the commission’s decision earlier this week to rule out reactivating Big Ben, which is out of service due to maintenance work.
A statement from the commission, which supervises Commons administration, estimates that reattaching the bell’s striking mechanism and installing a temporary floor in its Elizabeth Tower, as well as the financial impact of delaying the refurbishment programme, could cost between £320,000 and £500,000.
But the Cabinet minister said: “There’s no way it would really cost £500,000. It’s the Remainers on the commission – they want to stick it to us Brexiteers.”
Approved
Commission members include Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg, Labour frontbencher Valerie Vaz, senior SNP MP Pete Whishart. Westminster insiders say Remainers have a narrow majority on the 10-strong body.
A commission spokesman said last night: “As with other major parliamentary projects, the scope, budget and timetable for the Elizabeth Tower refurbishment were approved by senior officials of both Houses – and relevant members’ bodies have been kept informed of progress.
“The cost for the temporary floor and installing, testing and striking Big Ben would be approximately £120,000. In addition, the delay to work in the belfry would push back the planned programme of works by two to four weeks, with each week of delays costing approximately £100,000. These costs are based on a notice period of approximately two weeks. Should the project team be required to strike the bell with less notice, these costs would increase substantially.”
Earlier this week, Boris Johnson made a plea for public donations to fund the cost of reactivating the bell for Brexit night, inviting volunteers to “bung a bob for a Big Ben bong”.
Mark Francois told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “It seems to me, and many of my colleagues in the House of Commons, patently daft that we have got the most iconic clock in the world – literally, it’s a world heritage site – that that should stay silent on this occasion. I suppose if all else failed we could play a recording of Big Ben chime at 11pm.
“But I think this is such an iconic moment that we are feeling in the nation we should do it properly.”
He added: “Bear in mind, it’s entirely voluntary. Those who wish to celebrate us becoming a free country again can do so. Those who don’t can stay at home and watch Netflix. It’s an individual choice.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock also backed the campaign, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “Bong or no bong, we are delivering Brexit on January 31.”
Meanwhile Nigel Farage claimed the UK would look like “a joke” if Big Ben failed to chime.
Speaking on LBC Radio, the Brexit Party leader said: “It’s almost as if the Government is embarrassed by Brexit. They don’t want to celebrate the moment.
“I have put in an application to book Parliament Square for the evening, to put up some staging, to have some singing, to have some music, to have some speeches. I’ve also applied to have some fireworks, which has been refused point blank.
“Boris got elected on a massive majority on the basis of Get Brexit Done, and he can’t even bring himself as Prime Minister to say they are going to fund this to show the world we are organised and we are ready.
“I frankly think that, around the world at 11pm, if Big Ben doesn’t strike, our country looks like a joke.” Downing Street officials said the Government was still working on plans to mark Brexit.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “What we are doing is working on a package of ways to mark the 31st. We are looking to announce them altogether.”
Meanwhile, Leave campaigners’ calls for church bells to peal across the nation when the UK leaves on January 31 were also being met with opposition.
The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers released a statement to say they do not endorse the act being carried out “for political reasons” such as Brexit.