Kemi Badenoch Slams £39B Palace Restoration as Out of Control

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch denounces plans to restore the Palace of Westminster, warning that costs could reach nearly £40 billion over six decades. She describes the project as “out of control” amid growing concerns over fire risks similar to the Notre Dame blaze.

Restoration Options Under Fire

A joint reports MPs and Lords outlines two proposals: a full restoration spanning 61 years at up to £39.2 billion, or a more modest upgrade lasting 24 years for up to £15.6 billion. The Conservative Party launches a public petition to halt the program and refocus efforts.

Badenoch’s Strong Criticism

Badenoch states: “Parliament’s restoration project is out of control, and the public should be as angry about it as I am. This was meant to be essential works to keep a cherished, historic building safe and functioning. It has turned into a basket case white elephant project. While Labour are destroying jobs and livelihoods, taxpayers are being asked to bankroll billions more to turn the Palace of Westminster into a net zero Dubai hotel. Many of the people pushing for this hate our heritage. The Conservative party exists to protect that heritage and British institutions and we will be voting against this.”

Calls for a Fundamental Rethink

The party supports essential safety measures to address fire hazards, asbestos, mechanical issues, and structural decay but demands rigorous scrutiny, cost discipline, and clear priorities. It argues that savings around £40 billion could offset recent tax increases from the Chancellor’s Budget.

The cheaper option requires MPs to vacate the Commons for up to 10 years, a move Conservatives call unprecedented with major constitutional and practical impacts.

TaxPayers’ Alliance Raises Alarm

Research director Darwin Friend warns: “Taxpayers are rightly up in arms about the catastrophic costs being proposed for the makeover of the parliamentary estate. What should be a targeted set of renovations focused on structural integrity, fire safety and preservation of the enormous cultural importance of the estate has transmogrified into a box-ticking exercise for every woke cause in the book, all at vast cost to the exchequer. A completely new set of proposals is needed, based only on what is absolutely necessary to the long term future of the Palace of Westminster.”

Shadow Leader’s Position

Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Jesse Norman emphasizes: “The Palace of Westminster is one of our greatest national institutions. It must be made safe and preserved for future generations. But the current Restoration and Renewal process is drifting towards a vast, decades-long project with costs running into the tens of billions, insufficient scrutiny, and unclear accountability. At a time of tight public finances, Parliament cannot ask the country to sign a blank cheque. The focus must be on essential works, firm cost control and proper oversight. Parliament should be sovereign over its own future. That means a fully informed House, a transparent process and a plan that is affordable, measured and deliverable.”