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To: Parliament
Move Parliament Out Of London
Move the UK Parliament out of an expensive & over-important London and into the heart of the UK to be closer to the people who elect it.
Why is this important?
1. London is becoming a victim of its own success: a hellishly expensive place to live, work and do business.
2. At the same time London's pull on resources and wealth has become a drain on the rest of the UK, plunging many regions into permanent economic decline. Parliament and government are widely regarded as having a London-centric bias (public spending figures certainly bear this out) and the location of both in London undoubtedly contributes to this.
3. In addition, the presence of Parliament & Government in London effectively acts as a massive public subsidy to ironically the one region of the UK that really doesn't need it! A subsidy that could be better spent elsewhere.
4. Currently the Palace of Westminster needs repairs totalling up to £3 BILLION and may have to close for up to 5 years. Moving Parliament to new, purpose built accommodation in the heart of the UK would save this money by selling off the non-historic parts of Westminster, raising millions given London property prices. Governments love privatising things - why not Westminster?
5. We also believe housing politicians in 'Palaces' is wrong - it gives them delusions of grandeur!
6. Money would also be saved by the lower cost of MPs home and office accommodation outside London and no longer having to pay London-weighted salaries to civil servants. All at a time when spending cuts are needed to tackle the national debt. Let's cut politician's costs not nurses, teachers or police.
7. Trust in our democracy is also at historically low levels and a clean break from a past mired in scandals would help to restore that trust. Moving MPs into the heart of the UK and into a new parliament building which places openness, transparency and public access at its centre will help to restore that trust.
8. Moving Parliament out of a dominant London will also ensure Parliament follows policies for the good of the whole country rather than its current London-centric focus.
9. The time is right to renew our democracy - and renewing our Parliament should form a central part of that.
