Big Ben and Small Beer

Westminster MPs have come up with a bright idea for saving money - charging a £15 fee for tourists and visitors to go up and see Big Ben - the famous clock tower that forms part of the Palace of Westminster.

Apparently it costs nearly £100,000 a year to provide guides for the 10,000 or so people who take the Big Ben tour every year.

So a committee of MPs has suggested that a charge of £15 per person be introduced - which presumably their idea of how to saving public money in these difficult economic times.

One that has the added advantage of not impacting directly on honourable members - of course.

But the House of Commons revolted - or at least some of its members did - and so the proposed changes will not come into play until the end of this parliament at least

Perhaps never.

Several MPs raised objections to the proposed £15 charge - saying it would put people off from attending the House of Commons.

But I've got a much better and fairer idea.

Why don't Westminster MPs end the public subsidy for the catering operation at the Palace of Westminster - which runs to an eye-watering £5.8 million every year?
 
Saving £100,000 by charging to see Big Ben is peanuts - small beer - by comparison.

And all it would mean is that out MPs pay the going rate for their food and drinks - just like everyone else.
 
In other words a painless cut - or at least one that most voters would regard as fair - as well as  long overdue.