MPs and their staff returning to SW1 will immediately notice a big difference to their communal meeting and dining foyer in Portcullis House. A huge scaffolding construction has enveloped almost the entirety of the inner building, removing access to tables and chairs. On the inside? We don’t yet know thanks to the thick black curtains shielding everything from view.

A source tells Guido the work is to replace the old and defunct area previously occupied by fig trees, which while providing some nice greenery, had a desire to topple over – something the House authorities spent over £500,000 trying to prevent over 12 years. The trees got the axe last year. It will now apparently become a platformed events space, an initiative of the Speaker’s doing. FoI requests at the ready…

UPDATE: A House of Commons spokesperson said: “Following removal of the trees from the atrium earlier this year, we are using recess to test the space to see how it might be used more flexibly in future for a variety of uses, and to understand any limitations.”