Bong! May orders Bercow to look again at plan to silence Big Ben for four years
PLANS to silence Big Ben for four years could be scrapped after Theresa May intervened in the row yesterday.
The Prime Minister said it ‘can’t be right’ for the bells to be silenced for so long and ordered Commons Speaker John Bercow to look again at the proposals urgently.
She said she wanted the Great Bell’s bongs to be heard as restoration work is carried out. Parliamentary authorities were then forced into a U-turn and said the House of Commons Commission led by Mr Bercow would review the decision when MPs return from recess.
Mrs May’s comments came after a growing cross-party revolt by politicians who said they had no idea they had signed off on a plan to stop the chimes because of health and safety fears. They expressed anger at the length of time allocated for the refurbishment of the Elizabeth Tower which will silence the bells to protect workers’ hearing.
It would be the longest period Big Ben has been silenced in its history stretching back to 1859, and is set to begin after noon on Monday. Mrs May flew back early from her walking holiday in Switzerland yesterday to greet sailors on HMS Queen Elizabeth as the aircraft carrier arrived at her new home in Portsmouth.
Speaking on board the carrier she said: ‘Of course we want to ensure people’s safety at work but it can’t be right for Big Ben to be silent for four years. And I hope that the Speaker, as the chairman of the House of Commons Commission, will look into this urgently so that we can ensure that we can continue to hear Big Ben through those four years.’
As it still remained unclear who gave the go-ahead for the timescale, it emerged that the renovation project was only meant to take 26 months. The duration date was specified in a 2016 contract drawn up by officials.
But yesterday parliamentary officials said the project could last even longer than four years, meaning Big Ben could be out of action beyond 2021.
A Commons spokesman said: ‘ The programme of works is expected to complete by 2021. We have built contingencies into the process but it is possible this complex conservation programme may be subject to delay due to factors beyond our control.’
Officials had defended the plan to silence the bongs, insisting workers’ hearing would be at serious risk and those using scaffold-
ing could be startled by noise. But yesterday they announced the Commons Commission would review the plans. It came after the Daily Mail revealed how MPs were set to review the plan after they claimed they did not know the famous bell would be silenced for four years.
A spokesman said: ‘When Par-
DEATH KNELL FOR COMMON SENSE Tuesday’s Daily Mail
BONG! NOW A BIG BEN CLIMBDOWN Yesterday’s front page
liament returns, in light of concerns expressed by a number of MPs, the Commons Commission will consider the length of time that the bells will fall silent.
‘Any discussion will focus on undertaking the work efficiently, protecting the health and safety of those involved, and seeking to ensure resumption of normal service as soon as is practicable given those requirements.
‘The bells will cease to ring, as planned, following the chimes at noon on Monday August 21. Big Ben’s bongs are an integral part of parliamentary life and we will ensure they can resume their role as the nation’s timekeeper as soon as possible.’
The plans to silence Big Ben, which has rung out even during times of war, sparked an outcry when they were revealed on Monday. The move was labelled ‘entirely bonkers’ by Conservative MP James Gray who sat on the administration committee which first approved the work.
Three parliamentary committees were said to have agreed on the work but MPs on them insisted that they had no idea of the timescale.
Last night Mr Gray said: ‘I’m delighted the Prime Minister and the Commons Commission are taking into account the concerns on this matter. I very much welcome the Prime Minister’s comments and I will let my voice be heard when parliament returns. Simply closing the clock down for four years is wrong.’