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Manchester or Birmingham: Alternative homes for UK Parliament

Manchester and Birmingham are the most likely cities to be chosen by Britons for Parliament’s new temporary home if it were to move from London, according to a recent poll. Following reports that repairs needed to the Houses of Parliament could mean that MPs and peers have to move to an alternative location for up to six years, St James’s House Media, publisher of ‘The Story of Parliament’, commissioned a poll from ComRes to discover the public’s preferred location for a new home for Parliament.

The survey of 2,051 adults questioned online between 1st and 2nd July 2015 found that 55% selected Manchester in their top three favoured locations, while 49% opted for Birmingham in their top three places. Birmingham is the single first choice of 22% of those polled while Manchester is the first choice for 20%. The university towns of Oxford (19%) and Cambridge (12%) are ranked 3rd and 4th respectively.

On a temporary basis, Parliament met in Oxford from 1644 to 1645 during the English Civil War with the Privy Council meeting at Oriel College. Pembroke, Jesus and St John’s Colleges were used as living quarters for courtiers and high-ranking officers.

Current speculation on a temporary home for Parliament coincides with 2015 being celebrated as ‘The Year of Parliament’ and the 750th anniversary of the Montfort Parliament of 1265 – the first Parliament that included representatives of every county and many towns. This Parliament demonstrated that the king and other influential figures had recognised that they could no longer rule the country without involving a wider group of its people.

To mark this 750th anniversary, the History of Parliament Trust and St James’s House Media have jointly published a book titled ‘The Story of Parliament: Celebrating 750 years of parliament in Britain.’ The book explores the events and people that have helped forge Parliament and, in turn, society as we know it today. Written by expert historians, the publication was formally unveiled by the History of Parliament Trust’s Chairman Lord Cormack at Westminster Abbey on 22 June 2015.

Richard Freed, Director of St James’s House Media, said:

“The Palace of Westminster is one of the UK’s most iconic buildings. As we celebrate this 750th anniversary, it is interesting to see the competing claims from other cities to provide a temporary home for our parliamentary representatives.“

From the Montfort Parliament emerged the party political system and adversarial layout of the House of Commons chamber. The House of Lords has a similar design, with parties sitting opposite one another to debate policy and legislation. The House of Lords is also home to the royal throne from which the monarch conducts the annual State Opening of Parliament, during which MPs gather to hear the monarch’s speech.

The reason for the throne being in the Lords and not the Commons harks back to 1642, when King Charles I burst into the Commons in a failed attempt to arrest five MPs. The then Speaker of the House of Commons, William Lenthall, declared the king a stranger, and to this day the monarch is not allowed to enter the House of Commons.

Structurally, the Palace of Westminster has suffered during its long life. First built in the Middle Ages, the “old” Gothic edifice was all but destroyed when a stove fire broke out in 1834 – a disaster that resulted in the construction of Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin’s current masterpiece, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Grade I listed building. It went on to survive the best efforts of the Luftwaffe, who hit the palace on 14 separate occasions during World War II, resulting in the chamber of the House of Commons being destroyed and the House of Lords being damaged.

A special edition of ‘The Story of Parliament’ is being distributed to leading figures and organisations in the public, private and third sector, including members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Zoe White .