MPs in Westminster have just found out they won’t be able to charge their electric cars in one of the most central parts of Parliament – New Palace Yard – thanks to health and safety concerns, according to a post on political blog Guido Fawkes.
An official note told MPs and staff that the EV chargers there are being scrapped following a review by the Safety and Fire teams, in consultation with the Administration Committee.
A House of Commons spokesperson confirmed the move to This is Money, saying: “Due to developing health and safety guidance around electric car charging, two charging points in the underground car park have been closed. Eight fast chargers are available nearby, in addition to more within the estate."
Except… some of those nearby chargers aren’t exactly plug-and-go. Four are located in Speaker’s Court (yep, right outside the Speaker’s House), and to use them, you need a special “charging card” from the Speaker’s Office – even though the government has been pushing for contactless payments at chargers across the rest of the UK.
And even if you do manage to get your hands on a card, there’s no guarantee you’ll find a space – high demand and no overnight charging allowed. MPs have also been reminded to unplug and move on quickly once their EV is charged.
Parking in Westminster is already limited for MPs and staff, with many being encouraged to ditch the car altogether and hop on public transport.
As for long-term improvements? Don’t hold your breath. While there are vague plans to increase charging capacity in future, they’ll be based on fire safety rules and available power – and even then, EV drivers won’t be given priority.
Ironically, this comes just after the government announced that all government cars will be electric by 2027 – though, conveniently, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s armoured Range Rover isn’t included in that promise.
The Department for Transport’s latest plan, Decarbonising Transport: A Better, Greener Britain, says all central government cars and vans must go zero-emissions by the end of 2027. That even covers around 30,000 vehicles from organisations like the DVLA, HMRC, and the Met Office.
This zero-emissions push is happening two years before the petrol and diesel car ban kicks in – and seven years before new diesel vans are phased out. But again, there are exceptions – like the Prime Minister’s beefy V8 Range Rover Sentinel, which guzzles fuel like it’s still 2005.
Meanwhile, public charging point numbers across the UK are up 28% in the past year, according to April stats. But not everywhere is seeing progress. Vauxhall’s “Electric Streets of Britain” campaign found that in some parts of the country – like the North East and Northern Ireland – the number of public chargers has dropped since January.
And now Westminster’s charging network is heading in the same direction…
