Big Ben

[Jacko_G]

Cost of repairs now rising another third to £80 million.

Knock the blooming thing down instead. A disgraceful waste of taxpayers money.

 

[Robin Hood]

Cost of repairs now rising another third to £80 million.

Knock the blooming thing down instead. A disgraceful waste of taxpayers money.

Or sell it to the Americans ??

I haven't read the report but how can they get it so wrong. If it was privately owned there is no way that it could happen. Public sector money is so wasted it's almost criminal.

 

[robinthehood]

Cost of repairs now rising another third to £80 million.

Knock the blooming thing down instead. A disgraceful waste of taxpayers money.

Oof
Calm down, that's only 2 days worth of brexit money. We've got 350 mil a week to spend.

 

[KenL]

Totally disagree, a very important building that should be preserved for the nation.
£400 000 000 on the Scottish parliament building that was meant to cost about 10% of that was a waste of money.
Not convinced about HS2 either.

 

[Wolf]

A national monument that deserves preservation I'd say is worth it for our nations history. Better idea scrap HS2 and divert the funds from that to the restoration project. All that wasted money so some men in suits can get to London 20mins quicker is a far bigger issue.

 

[Jacko_G]

Totally disagree, a very important building that should be preserved for the nation.
£400 000 000 on the Scottish parliament building that was meant to cost about 10% of that was a waste of money.
Not convinced about HS2 either.

Its a blooming clock.

£80 million to save a clock. Absolutely laughable.

 

[Norrin Radd]

Big Ben is the name of the bell not the bell tower

 

[Jacko_G]

Big Ben is the name of the bell not the bell tower

Couldn't care less if the bell was called Big Breasted Betty Bell its still a disgrace to waste taxes on it to that level.

 

[KenL]

Couldn't care less if the bell was called Big Breasted Betty Bell its still a disgrace to waste taxes on it to that level.

It is just over £1 for every person in the country. I'd happily pay my share. I'll even pay your's Jacko if you'll stop whinging. ;-)

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It is an iconic building for the nation so does need to be looked after. I'm sure I could have done the repairs for £75m though, still making a tidy profit .

How can it really cost that much? It is scary how these figures are thrown around.

 

[Jacko_G]

It is just over £1 for every person in the country. I'd happily pay my share. I'll even pay your's Jacko if you'll stop whinging. ;-)

Yet we have people dying on waiting lists and £80 million on a clock is acceptable?

 

[patricks148]

Cost of repairs now rising another third to £80 million.

Knock the blooming thing down instead. A disgraceful waste of taxpayers money.

i'd imagine if it were a dilapidated victorian public building anywhere else in the UK that sort of money wouldn't be being spend to referb it.... Buck palace too for that matter

 

[clubchamp98]

i'd imagine if it were a dilapidated victorian public building anywhere else in the UK that sort of money would be being spend to referb it.... Buck palace too for that matter

This it’s in London so it’s ok.

 

[Dando]

Yet we have people dying on waiting lists and £80 million on a clock is acceptable?

maybe if the NHS didn't waste so much money on multi levels of management and hadn't been lumbered with PFI contracts then they'd had more money to spend on treating people

 

[Dibby]

i'd imagine if it were a dilapidated victorian public building anywhere else in the UK that sort of money wouldn't be being spend to referb it.... Buck palace too for that matter

On the other side, I'd imagine Big Ben and Buckingham palace somewhat contribute to bringing in a few more tourist pounds than other random dilapidated buildings.

 

[Jacko_G]

maybe if the NHS didn't waste so much money on multi levels of management and hadn't been lumbered with PFI contracts then they'd had more money to spend on treating people

Or maybe if they were funded to an acceptable level...….

 

[Jacko_G]

On the other side, I'd imagine Big Ben and Buckingham palace somewhat contribute to bringing in a few more tourist pounds than other random dilapidated buildings.

Correct they bring money to London which stays in London. A clock given an £80 makeover, where else in Britain would that happen??? Absolutely nowhere.

Tax payers money wasted.

 

[Wolf]

Correct they bring money to London which stays in London. A clock given an £80 makeover, where else in Britain would that happen??? Absolutely nowhere.

Tax payers money wasted.

Interesting how you skirt other issues raised though Jacko someone here mentioned the waste of money on Scottish parliamentary building going way over budget, that's nothing to do with London so is that excess ok? Or HS2 does that not deem worthy of acknowledgement because they're not specifically in London

 

[Robster59]

maybe if the NHS didn't waste so much money on multi levels of management and hadn't been lumbered with PFI contracts then they'd had more money to spend on treating people

I'd have to agree with this. It's not so much the funding but how it's spent. As a supplier into the NHS I've seen the amount of money the various contractors and PFI sucks out from treatment and into their shareholders profits.

For the Elizabeth Tower (what it's actually called) then I agree that we seem to let people keep ramping up the costs. Part of this is that when the tender for work is specified, it's not specified correctly and so whilst the supplier bids for what is in the tender, if the parameters change then they are contractually allowed to increase the charge as there is extra work outside the scope of the original tender.
I see it all the time. We have now learnt from experience to make it absolutely clear to our customers that we are bidding on the tender as presented to us. If they want to change the parameters post that, there is a cost involved.

 

[Dando]

I'd have to agree with this. It's not so much the funding but how it's spent. As a supplier into the NHS I've seen the amount of money the various contractors and PFI sucks out from treatment and into their shareholders profits.

For the Elizabeth Tower (what it's actually called) then I agree that we seem to let people keep ramping up the costs. Part of this is that when the tender for work is specified, it's not specified correctly and so whilst the supplier bids for what is in the tender, if the parameters change then they are contractually allowed to increase the charge as there is extra work outside the scope of the original tender.
I see it all the time. We have now learnt from experience to make it absolutely clear to our customers that we are bidding on the tender as presented to us. If they want to change the parameters post that, there is a cost involved.

my old company used to insure some of the PFI contracts and the numbers involved were truly eye watering