Is Westminster a suitable venue for Parliament?

[Amodmillymum]

I think Westminster should be turned into a tourist attraction and a campus style parliament should be built in the middle of Great Britain, with lodgings and childcare facilities.

Westminster's venue and facilities perpetuates the dominant patriarchy and doesn't give women a fair chance or a voice.

What do you think?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Wherever Parliament is, members will have to travel to get there. As someone that travels a lot for work I think it's a particularly big obstacle for parents, especially mothers. You need someone to look after your child at home or take them to school locally - not put them in a creche at your place of work a hundred miles away and then have them stay in lodgings or hotels the rest of the time. Not practical. And if you don't fancy spending most of the week away from your children, that's a personal decision that is gender neutral. Some MPs wait until their children are independent teens before standing for Parliament and I can see why.

So central England, Westminster, Newcastle - it doesn't really matter. However, I think the working hours, working practices and remuneration would need to be upgraded to be more in line with the rest of society. At the moment, Westminster attracts people with their own money because many others can't afford to be MPs on the salary they pay. There's too much time wasting walking through lobbies that could be replaced with electronic voting. And the late night boozy, away-from-home culture is very male-oriented.