Starmer 'prefers to work in new Labor Party offices rather than freeze Parliament House'

Sir Keir Starmer is said to regularly work at his party's new offices on Rushworth Street. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Sir Keir Starmer reportedly spends at least two days a week working from Labour's modern London headquarters rather than the aging Houses of Parliament.

Labour's leader party has designated offices on parliamentary property, but reportedly prefers to regularly work from its party's new headquarters. instead in Southwark, south-east London.

Several officials told Politico that Sir Keir now works from the new office on Rushworth Street, which Labor moved into last year, up to three days a week.

One staffer said he “really likes the [Southwark] office, it doesn't feel as imposing, it's not very cold and it's much more modern.”

A senior Labor source told The Telegraph that Sir Keir “occasionally works at headquarters” but insisted this was “nothing unusual”, adding that it was not about Parliament itself but “about being part of a wider team of staff” .

A Labor official also told Politico that Sir Keir's presence in Southwark was “good for morale” and “makes us feel like we're preparing for the election” expected in the second half of this year.

The 19th-century Palace of Westminster is in dire need of renovation, having last undergone major renovations before the Second World War. Disadvantages of the building include the presence of asbestos, plumbing problems and the risk of falling masonry.

The Leader of the Opposition's parliamentary offices have been housed in the late 19th-century Norman Shaw Buildings since Michael Howard's tenure as Tory leader between November 2003 and December 2005.

Another Labor staffer told Politico: ” Surely a modern leader wants to work in a modern office rather than in a building designed in 1887?

When there is legislative business or before Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Sir Keir continues to work in Parliament.

In 2022, the cost of restoring the Palace of Westminster was estimated at £22 billion. This week it emerged that there were more than 500 requests for pest control in Parliament last year, as well as 5,211 plumbing problems.

Responding to findings following a question posed by Sarah Olney, MP for Lib Dem Tory Sir Charles Walker said “the Strategic Estates team is planning a long-term solution to improve water quality.”