# Notre-Dame was restored in five years and under budget. But the Palace of Westminster? No chance | Simon Jenkins

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/notre-dame-was-restored-in-five-years-and-under-budget-but-the-palace-of-westminster-no-chance-simon-jenkins/
- Published: 2026-11-06T06:00:45+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T07:24:39+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/nov/06/palace-westminster-parliament-restored-notre-dame-mps
- Topics: Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Westminster restoration estimates have risen to as much as £40bn.
- The project could take up to 61 years.
- Jenkins proposes moving Parliament outside London.

## Summary

Simon Jenkins argues that the Palace of Westminster’s restoration estimates have become excessive and that Parliament should move permanently outside London. He says the projected cost of up to £40bn risks making the institution a national liability, while relocation could support the government’s stated aim of strengthening regions beyond the capital.

The article says a 2014 assessment put the work at £3.5bn to £5.7bn, with a construction period of six to 32 years; newer estimates reach £40bn and 11 to 61 years. Jenkins contrasts this with the £80m spent on Big Ben’s restoration and the £80m reroofing, and notes that Notre-Dame was rebuilt for well under €1bn. A vote on the first phase is being urged, but a decision on the second phase is not expected until 2030.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.