Gavin Williamson’s Sacking Could Help Save Millions On Parliament Restoration

Gavin Williamson’s sacking as defence secretary could save the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds by speeding up the restoration of parliament, senior sources have suggested.

Williamson had been resisting plans to decant MPs to a replica Commons chamber in Whitehall to allow crucial renovations at the Palace of Westminster because the work would involve the potential use of a Ministry of Defence car park next to its headquarters.

A report by a joint parliamentary committee on the restoration accused the MoD of refusing to engage with the plans and warned that working around the car park could add £350m to the cost and delay the work for around three years to 2028.

Sources close to Williamson, who was sacked last week over a leak from the National Security Council which he denies, earlier this year hit back at the suggestion that he was blocking the moves to protect his VIP car parking spot, telling the Mail on Sunday there were “extremely compelling security reasons”. Read more

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