The return to work last Wednesday by Theresa May was signalled by her visit to HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth and comments regarding the silencing of Big Ben as work on the Elizabeth tower begins. Sadly for our nation whilst both are deeply symbolic, they also demonstrate how poorly governed we are. The decision to purchase two such aircraft carriers and then be prevented from fully equipping either due to costs is deeply troubling, particularly as people in military circles believe that the ships will act as targets for future attacks. Mrs May however was undaunted, stating “as Britain forges a new, positive, confident role on the world stage in the years ahead we are determined to remain a fully engaged global power, working closely with our friends and allies…whether the task be high intensity war-fighting, targeted action to fight terrorism, or humanitarian relief to save lives overseas, these ships will transform the UK’s ability to project power around the world.” There is no doubt that Aircraft Carriers are impressive. When I was growing up I was inspired by Ark Royal which was re-launched in 1969 after a three year refit. It created an ambition which lasted several years that I would join the Navy and inspired an early attempt at a reality TV programme. I have no idea if one let alone two partially equipped aircraft carriers will be of any real benefit to a high intensity war-fighting, which I certainly hope will never occur. However I am confident that such ships offer a very poor fit for fighting terrorism or offering humanitarian relief. Indeed the irony for the leader of a Government that has closed our borders to refugees, including unaccompanied children to proudly claim two enormous new ships covered with weapons will enable our nation to be seen as a humanitarian provider is hard to stomach.

The interview with the Prime Minister on a brand new ship with the latest modern technology which three years ago was estimated to cost us over £6Bn seemed an odd place to speak  about the temporary silencing of a 159 year old bell. However it appears that Mrs May like some others at the Palace of Westminster has only just discovered that their high profile timepiece would need to fall silent while workers set about a £22M refit and repair of the bell tower. This is despite the fact that in 2015 Parliament debated and signed off on the repair work. The understandable reason for silencing the bell is that those working in the tower will need to be protected from the noise and possibly also the vibrations while they are in the building and apparently it takes around half a days work to bring the mechanism back into operation.  For this reason the plan is to do so only occasionally. In many senses this is merely a foretaste of a much bigger issue, the repairs needed throughout  the Palace of Westminster which have been estimated as costing about the same amount as one Aircraft Carrier. No one enjoys having their place of work closed down or disturbed for as long as these repairs will take. However the need to deal with issues such as raw sewage seeping into the building, problems with woodworm, rats and no doubt other infestations, along with the removal of large amounts of asbestos and replacing dangerous wiring is now long overdue. In any other workplace, the management of the building would make the decisions about such matters, taking into account the impact on the workers but treating the wellbeing of the building and the cost and needs of the maintenance workers as a key part of their role. They would have course need to inform the workers who would have to accept such matters, hopefully with a degree of grace, knowing they would return to an improved workplace. However when the workers are MPs and include a Prime Minister and her Cabinet, the idea that they will quietly accept such news is as likely as someone demanding that Jacob Rees Mogg changes one of his childrens nappies. Mrs May is reported to have said: “Of course we want to ensure people’s safety at work but it can’t be right for Big Ben to be silent for four years. I hope that the Speaker, as the chairman of the House of Commons commission, will look into this urgently so that we can ensure that we can continue to hear Big Ben through those four years.” In reality I believe we need to consider if Parliament with its Government versus Opposition seating arrangement is helpful for a modern nation in any case. However if Westminster cannot cope with a bell falling silent, there is no prospect of any real change.