Parliament should go on tour during revamp, says Mordaunt

PARLIAMENT should tour the country if MPS have to leave when the buildings are refurbished, the leader of the House of Commons has suggested.

Penny Mordaunt urged “pragmatic” solutions while work took place to save the Palace of Westminster, which is in urgent need of repairs and safety upgrades. Ms Mordaunt said holding sessions in a range of cities could boost public engagement in the event of a “full decant”, which could last 20 years.

Speaking at the first annual Institute for Government conference, she confirmed a “really concrete” range of options on how to proceed would be drawn up by the end of the year.

“We just need to be pragmatic about this... and whilst we’re out, why don’t we use that as an opportunity to visit other parts of the country, generate a bit of excitement?”

Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow levelling up secretary, told the same event: “If I had my wish, we’d move to a modern office building, we’d open Parliament up to the people so they could all share in its heritage and we would get on with governing this country in a way that’s fit for the 21st century.”