Will 2026 be the year MPs and peers agree on how to repair Parliament?

"MPs and peers will have to make a big decision soon on whether or not to move out of the Houses of Parliament, to allow billions of pounds worth of essential maintenance work to take place. The building is "just waiting for some disaster", says House of Cards writer and peer Lord Dobbs. He says his advice to visitors is: "If they see somebody running please don't stop to find out why they're running, just follow them.""

"A parliamentary committee report from a decade ago warned that the Palace of Westminster "faces an impending crisis which we cannot responsibly ignore". "Unless an intensive programme of major remedial work is undertaken soon, it is likely that the building will become uninhabitable," it said. A decision has been postponed for years, but now with falling masonry, lingering asbestos, regular fires and exploding toilets, everyone agrees the work needs to be done."

"In the early weeks of 2026, parliamentarians are expected to be presented with three options for carrying out the work: A full decant that would see both the Houses of Commons and Lords temporarily moved to a different location A partial decant moving out the House of Lords while the Commons remains onsite An option labelled "enhanced maintenance and improvement" which would carry out the improvements as part of a rolling sequence of works. This option would likely take the longest."

MPs and peers must decide whether to temporarily vacate the Palace of Westminster to enable billions of pounds of essential maintenance. The building suffers falling masonry, lingering asbestos, regular fires and exploding toilets, creating significant safety risks. A parliamentary committee warned a decade ago that the palace faces an impending crisis and could become uninhabitable without an intensive remedial programme. Options expected in early 2026 include a full decant of both Houses, a partial decant of the Lords only, or an "enhanced maintenance and improvement" rolling programme that would take the longest. Alternative temporary locations have been proposed nearby.

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