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My honest first question when I read this is: Isn't knowing about every single passage and doorway absolutely critical to security in a facility where high risk

My honest first question when I read this is: Isn't knowing about every single passage and doorway absolutely critical to security in a facility where high risk persons work? It seems absolutely crazy to me to think that, as a US comparison, they would let the President go anywhere that might have passages the Secret Service is unaware of.

chrisseaton 7y ago
> It seems absolutely crazy to me to think that, as a US comparison, they would let the President go anywhere that might have passages the Secret Service is unaware of. Since the US President does occasionally visit the Palace of Westminster, we know the Secret Service demonstrably do allow him to go to such places.
btilly 7y ago
This is a building where people are literally employed to walk the halls so that if there is a fire, it will be noticed in time to save the building. This is also a building where Parliament can be shut down for a day because a pipe burst and flooded the chambers where they deliberate. (Happened about a year ago during Brexit deliberations.) This is also a building where they know that they need to spend billions on renovations but can't. On the flip side, this also has one of the most impressive remaining medieval roofs in existence. Contains the lobby that gave us the word "lobbying". And contains more history than any building that you can find in the USA. If ever you go to London, get a tour of it. Seriously.
- Mvandenbergh 7y ago
  >This is also a building where they know that they need to spend billions on renovations but can't. Second line of the article: "Historians working on the renovation of the House of Commons found the lost 360-year-old passageway, hidden in a secret chamber." Planning permission has been filed for the first phase of works, not actually on the Palace of Westminster but on the other side of Portcullis House, to renovate those buildings so that everyone can move there for the years it will take to renovate.
  - btilly 7y ago
    Yes, work is being prepared. And yet, work was put off for decades and now work on the building is still going to be delayed for years.
mhh__ 7y ago
Given that a comedian was able to bring a back of Swastika-themed golf balls within metres of Donald Trump (and threw some at him), despite the area being under lockdown for days, using (in total) about £300 spent on Hotel tickets and a jumper (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_F5_JPQA0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_F5_JPQA0), there's only so much they can do.
kaikai 7y ago
The doorway only leads to a small empty room. The actual passageway was blocked already in previous renovations, so there was no danger of anyone coming through it.
- ocdtrekkie 7y ago
  Sure, they know this now. But if they don’t even know what passages exist, how can they be sure one that leads outside doesn’t exist? Even as an internal only room, could someone hide in there?

chrisseaton 7y ago

> It seems absolutely crazy to me to think that, as a US comparison, they would let the President go anywhere that might have passages the Secret Service is unaware of. Since the US President does occasionally visit the Palace of Westminster, we know the Secret Service demonstrably do allow him to go to such places.

btilly 7y ago

This is a building where people are literally employed to walk the halls so that if there is a fire, it will be noticed in time to save the building. This is also a building where Parliament can be shut down for a day because a pipe burst and flooded the chambers where they deliberate. (Happened about a year ago during Brexit deliberations.) This is also a building where they know that they need to spend billions on renovations but can't. On the flip side, this also has one of the most impressive remaining medieval roofs in existence. Contains the lobby that gave us the word "lobbying". And contains more history than any building that you can find in the USA. If ever you go to London, get a tour of it. Seriously.

Mvandenbergh 7y ago
>This is also a building where they know that they need to spend billions on renovations but can't. Second line of the article: "Historians working on the renovation of the House of Commons found the lost 360-year-old passageway, hidden in a secret chamber." Planning permission has been filed for the first phase of works, not actually on the Palace of Westminster but on the other side of Portcullis House, to renovate those buildings so that everyone can move there for the years it will take to renovate.
- btilly 7y ago
  Yes, work is being prepared. And yet, work was put off for decades and now work on the building is still going to be delayed for years.

mhh__ 7y ago

Given that a comedian was able to bring a back of Swastika-themed golf balls within metres of Donald Trump (and threw some at him), despite the area being under lockdown for days, using (in total) about £300 spent on Hotel tickets and a jumper (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_F5_JPQA0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3_F5_JPQA0), there's only so much they can do.

kaikai 7y ago

The doorway only leads to a small empty room. The actual passageway was blocked already in previous renovations, so there was no danger of anyone coming through it.

ocdtrekkie 7y ago
Sure, they know this now. But if they don’t even know what passages exist, how can they be sure one that leads outside doesn’t exist? Even as an internal only room, could someone hide in there?