British lawmakers to quit the Palace of Westminster for refit

Source: Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers will leave the Palace of Westminster for at least six years to allow for a proposed multi-billion pound refurbishment, the first time politicians have left the historic building en masse since World War Two.

At a vote on Wednesday, lawmakers voted in favor of a “full decant” of the building, home to the “Big Ben” clock tower, perhaps London’s best-known landmark, to try to fix a multitude of problems that some politicians said had made the palace a potential “death trap”.

The planned move, part of a proposed 5.6 billion pound ($8 billion) modernization, will not take effect until 2025 at the earliest.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-politics-parliament/british-lawmakers-to-quit-the-palace-of-westminster-for-refit-idUSKBN1FL4NT