Parliament - A Building Catastrophe?
Analysis
BBC
4.6 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 23 October 2017
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What does the dangerous state of the Houses of Parliament tell us about our politics? There are increasing fears of a catastrophic fire, asbestos leak or major systems failure in the famed buildings. But after years of warnings, MPs and Lords are still struggling to decide what to do. Some say Parliament must remain active in the buildings while urgent work is done. Others say they must be vacated for renovation - and that this is an opportunity for a complete rethink of how our parliamentary democracy functions.
Chris Bowlby visits the buildings' secret and hazardous corners and talks to key figures in the debate, discovering a story of costly but revealing political paralysis
Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Hugh Levinson.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:04.6 | My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds. |
| 0:08.4 | As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality featuring the most knowledgeable |
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| 0:36.0 | Thanks for downloading analysis, the programme about the ideas behind the news. |
| 0:40.0 | The Houses of Parliament is one of the most famous buildings in the world, but it's in a terrible |
| 0:45.8 | state facing all kinds of risks ranging from fire to flooding, and the politicians who work |
| 0:51.1 | there can't decide what to do. |
| 0:53.8 | Chris Bulby's been wondering what this tells us about the state of our politics. |
| 0:57.9 | So he asks, is Westminster facing a building catastrophe. A business question, Valerie Baz. |
| 1:07.0 | Thank you Mr Speaker. |
| 1:09.0 | Will the leader of the House please give us the forthcoming business? |
| 1:12.0 | Leader of the House. |
| 1:15.4 | Weekly business questions earlier this month in the House of Commons, |
| 1:18.6 | a tranquil affair amid the smart green benches and polished ornate woodwork. Among forthcoming business, the leader of the house, Andrea Edson, promised a debate about a project called restoration and renewal, or R&R. |
| 1:31.0 | On R&R, I can confirm to the Honorable Lady that the debate will be in 2017, autumn 2017. |
| 1:38.4 | I think as she well knows, she and I both sit on the House Commission indeed that to you chair Mr Speaker |
| 1:44.0 | so I know the honourable lady is is well up to date with my determination to see |
| 1:49.2 | some progress on this matter. This R&R refers to the Palace of Westminster itself and what's to be done |
... |
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