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If you're one of those people who gets angry when you have to shell out a couple of hundred quid to fix your laptop or phone, you'll cringe with horror when you hear how much cash is needed to fix Big Ben. Up to £40 million is required for repairs to keep Big Ben bonging, politicians have warned.
It's been 31 years since the Great Clock had a revamp, and now its hands, mechanism, pendulum and tower structure need fixing. The 156-year-old tower has cracks in the building work and isn't currently in line with health and safety regulations.
A report from the Commons Finance Committee said: 'There are major concerns that if this is not carried out...the clock mechanism is at risk of failure with the huge risk of international reputational damage for Parliament. In the event of a clock-hand failure, it could take up to a year to repair due to the scaffolding needed.'
The £40 million figure includes: £4.9 million 'to prevent the clock from failing', plus an extra £29 million to renovate the rest of the building. Plus, a visitor centre at the bottom.