Guido first reported the £9 million cost of installing a new door at the Peers Entrance to parliament. Now Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Smith has admitted the cost is indeed £9.6 million:
“Now my lords, that is high but what is more serious that having spent that money – it doesn’t work.”
Smith blamed the ballooning costs on the fact that peers wanted to keep using the entrance while it was being redone as well as “issues around heritage that were discovered.” She said it is unknown if the door “will ever be fully operational.” Tory peer Lord Forsyth said the door is a “complete white elephant and a disaster… the other evening, someone in a wheelchair was unable to access the House.” Another £10 million to fix that issue no doubt…
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood introduced her speech on migration reforms at the IPPR:
“There’s no denying we meet at a difficult time for my party.”