Big Ben to be silent for four years

[hornetrider]

Cold said:

So, um, strange as it may seem but the initial cost estimates for the repairs to Elizabeth Tower have been revised. Most recent forecasts are £61m.
//Sucks teeth and consults clipboard.//

What the fkety fk.

[dazwalsh]

How can it fking double? And why does every single public sector project have to end up being an expensive fk up.

Sixty million quid is outrageous, even 29 million was

[Short Grain]

dazwalsh said:

How can it fking double? And why does every single public sector project have to end up being an expensive fk up.

Sixty million quid is outrageous, even 29 million was

Because the taxpayer is paying, therefore think of a number, triple it, add whatever you can get away with, voila, line your pockets!!

[exgtt]

Given what some of you lot would pay for a wrist watch, I'd say it's good VFM.

[jjohnson23]

At least the bidding process was fair and everyone was treated equally.
I would be surprised to find that someone was told to put in a deliberately low bid and it would all be 'all sorted after',this does not happen in government contracts does it ?

[Einion Yrth]

exgtt said:

Given what some of you lot would pay for a wrist watch, I'd say it's good VFM.

I don't wear a wrist watch, why should I subsidise, via my taxes, those who choose to waste enormous sums on a time piece? [/analogy]

[exgtt]

Einion Yrth said:

exgtt said:

Given what some of you lot would pay for a wrist watch, I'd say it's good VFM.

I don't wear a wrist watch, why should I subsidise, via my taxes, those who choose to waste enormous sums on a time piece? [/analogy]

Joke asides I agree with you

[hornetrider]

Are the costs itemised somewhere?

[Gandahar]

dazwalsh said:

How can it fking double? And why does every single public sector project have to end up being an expensive fk up.

Sixty million quid is outrageous, even 29 million was

Compared to what?

Perhaps one F-35 Lightning II plane that will not be on our huge new aircraft carriers until 2021? Are they going to bomb Argentina or Spain???????????

Oh, they might be $150m each...... at today's costs....

At least Big Ben gets the tourists in .....

Compared to fixing the whole of Parliament, which is £X billion I am not sure why you are so outraged? It's a pretty old thing and probably hence why it is worth getting it repaired properly for the future.

[abzmike]

Gandahar said:

At least Big Ben gets the tourists in .....

Compared to fixing the whole of Parliament, which is £X billion I am not sure why you are so outraged? It's a pretty old thing and probably hence why it is worth getting it repaired properly for the future.

It is just a little disturbing that in these straightened times, the budget has more than doubled in the space of a month. That's special even for public procurement. What will the final cost be when they eventually finish?

[eccles]

abzmike said:

Gandahar said:

At least Big Ben gets the tourists in .....

Compared to fixing the whole of Parliament, which is £X billion I am not sure why you are so outraged? It's a pretty old thing and probably hence why it is worth getting it repaired properly for the future.

It is just a little disturbing that in these straightened times, the budget has more than doubled in the space of a month. That's special even for public procurement. What will the final cost be when they eventually finish?

And I bet by the time it's all finished it will be nearer £90 million!

[The Moose]

What I think to be really interesting is that the Queen could very well die before Big Ben is up and running properly again.

Kind of weird given that it has rung out pretty much without fail through her reign.