Relocating the UK's capital city

[brad465]

If the UK decided to relocate its capital city, where would be the best place for the government to move to?

Several countries have their financial centre/largest city and parliament in different cities, including Canada, the US, Switzerland and Australia, so this is not unprecedented. I think this would be one of the best ways to achieve better investment elsewhere in the country, including rail. Of course Burnham seems to be trying to make Manchester the de facto capital city.

 

[Farigiraf]

City of London proper, for ceremonial purposes?
Otherwise I'd support making it officially Greater London rather than the vague 'London' which is the name of the city but doesn't correspond to an actual council region or county. In common use it would still be called London though.

 

[75A]

Manchester (For Mr Burnham)
Belfast for me

 

[[.n]]

Move it back to Colchester (Camulodunum) first capital of Roman Britain

 

[Darandio]

Manchester!

Yet you voted 'other' despite Manchester being in the voting options. I was hoping to see some real out there suggestions!

 

[nr758123]

Somewhere reasonably central where there's a need for regeneration and plenty of space to build a modern parliament building and the associated facilities. Wath On Dearne.

 

[Kite159]

Newcastle for no reason other than it's a great city

 

[Howardh]

Manchester!

Salford! There's probably room around the Quays.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Somewhere reasonably central where there's a need for regeneration and plenty of space to build a modern parliament building and the associated facilities. Wath On Dearne.

Absolutely agree.
And the Chancellor can keep his office.

 

[speedy1]

Salford!

Where? Isn't that a town in Manchester?

 

[m0ffy]

Obviously it should be Tamworth. Home to Blaze Bailey and Robert Peel, and something about being capital of Mercia. And it’s on two railway lines.

 

[Trainguy34]

York.

They've already got a stupid amount of tourists visiting, what's a couple extra gonna do?

 

[cb a1]

Obviously it should be Tamworth. Home to Blaze Bailey and Robert Peel, and something about being capital of Mercia. And it’s on two railway lines.

I believe it's also the station closest to the population weighted centre of GB (or UK, can't mind which it was).

 

[styles]

Other: Altnabreac.

 

[Cowley]

Other: Port Stanley

 

[Acathater]

Other: Castletown, Isle of Man

about as central as you can get

 

[317 forever]

Crewe. As an individual station, the ratio of platforms per head is more favourable than most other towns or cities.

 

[3141]

Keep it in London. Even Boris Johnson didn't propose moving the capital, only its main airport. Think of the cost of moving, the cost of the necessary infrastructure, the diversion of resources from other activities we currently regard as necessary into the new site, and what happens to everything that's no longer needed in London? Countries that moved their capital in the past did so for good reasons at the time. We have no convincing reasons to move it. It's the ultimate displacement activity!

Shouldn't this thread be under Speculative Discussion?

 

[Darandio]

Shouldn't this thread be under Speculative Discussion?

Nope, that is for rail and transport.

 

[TheSmiths82]

Where? Isn't that a town in Manchester?

It is actually a city in its own right. It has a cathedral and a big university. It is however in Greater Manchester and it doesn't really have a proper city centre as such. Some of what you might call Manchester City actually spills into Salford. Edit I had have just realised the post was tongue in cheek - sorry

 

[brad465]

Keep it in London. Even Boris Johnson didn't propose moving the capital, only its main airport. Think of the cost of moving, the cost of the necessary infrastructure, the diversion of resources from other activities we currently regard as necessary into the new site, and what happens to everything that's no longer needed in London? Countries that moved their capital in the past did so for good reasons at the time. We have no convincing reasons to move it. It's the ultimate displacement activity!

Shouldn't this thread be under Speculative Discussion?

You say that, but Parliament is facing an expensive restoration project in the coming years. While I don't see a relocation happening, both houses are set to move out for the work, so this is one of the best times to move the capital.

 

[SargeNpton]

Other: Castletown, Isle of Man

about as central as you can get

But not in the UK.

 

[Cdd89]

I think there is an argument that it should be the city which would be the fewest total journey-hours if everyone in the country travelled there by their fastest transport option (rail, road or air).

On a blank slate this would be purely a geographical problem, but with rail being such a key option for long-distance travel, and population centres and rail infrastructure centered around London, I'd be highly suprised if the answer wasn't London.

 

[317 forever]

I think there is an argument that it should be the city which would be the fewest total journey-hours if everyone in the country travelled there by their fastest transport option (rail, road or air).

On a blank slate this would be purely a geographical problem, but with rail being such a key option for long-distance travel, and population centres and rail infrastructure centered around London, I'd be highly suprised if the answer wasn't London.

In terms of rail infrastructure the answer might be Birmingham.

As far as I can tell, you can get to more places on a direct train from Birmingham New Street than from any single London terminus.

 

[Noddy]

I think there is an argument that it should be the city which would be the fewest total journey-hours if everyone in the country travelled there by their fastest transport option (rail, road or air).

On a blank slate this would be purely a geographical problem, but with rail being such a key option for long-distance travel, and population centres and rail infrastructure centered around London, I'd be highly suprised if the answer wasn't London.

That would work both ways though. I strongly suspect if you did that it would be somewhere like Tamworth which has good links to road (M6/M6 Toll/M42), rail (WCML and XC), and an airport (Birmingham Airport is closer to central Tamworth than Heathrow is to central London).

 

[JohnofWessex]

Chatteris?

Skegness?

I gather they cant get any worse but would get excellent public transport

 

[High Dyke]

You say that, but Parliament is facing an expensive restoration project in the coming years. While I don't see a relocation happening, both houses are set to move out for the work, so this is one of the best times to move the capital.

Blimey! It could become the largest ever Wetherspoons pub.

Other: Gainsborough. It has previously held the honour when it was both the capital of England and Denmark, in the year 1013.

 

[LUYMun]

Other: Basingstoke. Dull, isolated, plenty of office spaces for the MPs to congregate.

 

[Bald Rick]

Other: Basingstoke. Dull, isolated, plenty of office spaces for the MPs to congregate.

Other: Dull. Isolated, plenty of open spaces for politicains to congregate. Drizzle and midges likely. Opportunity for state visits to the twin town of Boring, Oregon.

 

[SargeNpton]

Other: Northampton.

On the basis that, for a couple of hundred years around the 11th-12th centuries, it was where various kings held court outside of London. Probably best known in that period for the trial of Thomas a Becket in the castle where Northampton station now stands.