After years of wrangling over Britain’s exit from the European Union, lawmakers are now tackling the finer detail: should Big Ben chime to mark the exact moment of Brexit.
A group of pro-Brexit members of parliament had put forward an amendment to that legislation, seeking to enshrine in law that Big Ben should be sounded at 2300 GMT on Jan. 31, the moment Brexit is officially due to take place.
The amendment was not selected for a vote on Tuesday, meaning the lawmaker’s first attempt to ensure Big Ben chimes for Brexit has failed. There are other routes they can use to win their bid, Reuters reported.
The 13.7-tonne bell has been largely silent since 2017 while renovation works are carried out on the Elizabeth Tower which houses it, sounding only for important events such as New Year’s Eve celebrations.
According to Reuters, The work on the tower, one of Britain’s most photographed buildings, is not due to be completed until 2021. The amendment had been signed by more than 40 lawmakers, mainly Conservatives.
It demanded the occasion “be marked by the sounding of the hourly chimes including eleven strikes of the principal bell (Big Ben) of the Great Clock in the Elizabeth Tower of the Houses of Parliament”.
