The so-called experts who claimed it would cost £500,000 for Big Ben to ring out on the night the United Kingdom left the European Union have admitted they got their figures wrong… but just how wrong?
The House of Commons Commission, responsible for Parliament maintenance, has revealed the cost for the bell to ring on New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday was £14,200, half of the original figure first given to the public.
The Commission is also responsible for the huge figure given for restoring Big Ben’s bong to mark the United Kingdom leaving the European Union.
Conservative MP Mark Francois, who was a leading campaigner for Big Ben to ring on Brexit night, said he would now take Commons estimates about the cost of restoring Parliament with a “quarry full of salt”.
Mr Francois said: “How very convenient that, three weeks after Brexit night, the House authorities reveal that they overestimated the costs of Big Ben chiming on Remembrance Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
“We can now take their cost estimates for the considerably larger Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Project with a quarry full of salt.”
Brexiteers donated a whopping £272,600 in an appeal by StandUp4Brexit to get the bell to chime to mark the historic occasion, however, the commission said major works would be required to see the bell toll amid the Elizabeth Tower’s £80million restoration.
They also rejected the idea of taking public money to fund the project even if the money was donated for a fund directly to have the bell chime.
Big Ben did not chime when the United Kingdom left the European Union however the occasion was marked with thousands of people gathering in the capital, London to celebrate.
Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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