Water Leak Forces British Parliament to Close
Lawmakers were discussing a tax issue when the drops of water started falling from the roof and when they look nervously upwards, it was all wet.
Britain is passing through a political crisis as tensions inside the Parliament and throughout the country is escalating high as the clock ticks down to Brexit. But there emerged a new problem this Thursday when the House of Commons is forced to suspend its session when water leaked from the roof into the chamber during a debate.
Lawmakers were discussing a tax issue when the drops of water started falling from the roof and when they look nervously upwards, it was all wet, the incident forced the deputy speaker to announce that the Parliament is closed for the day.
MP Ross Thomson later tweeted, “Not the first time there has been a leak in Parliament”, he posted with a picture of the water on the floor.
The Palace of Westminster, which was rebuilt in the mid 19th century, has been in structural decline for decades and leaks throughout the estate are common. But the recent leak was embarrassing as it was audible during the debate which led to an inevitable flood led to criticism from the journalists and politicians, who are closely following the ongoing deadlock and how to solve country’s Brexit crisis in the Parliament.
“I hope I can complete my speech before rain stops play. I think there is probably some kind of symbol about how many people view how broken our Parliament is”, Labour MP Justin Madders said.
The deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle, who was presiding over the debate said, “Somebody might say there is a leak in Parliament at the moment”.
Several journalists who were spending their time chasing the recent political crisis also took the opportunity to go offbeat and file a different story to point out the maintenance issues facing the Palace, which houses the British Parliament and is an International heritage site.
The Press office of the House of Commons issued a quick reassurance message saying, “We would like to clarify this was not a sewage leak”.
The Palace of Westminster, parts of which date back to 1097 has been slipping into disrepair for decades and which requires regular repairs and upgrades.
Plans are being made for a multi-billion pound restoration work, which requires the Parliament, which is a national icon and UNESCO World Heritage Site, to be temporarily shifted to a separate building. But the process has been delayed, as many lawmakers are opposed to giving up their traditional setting.
