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| Big Ben's tower to be renamed in honour of Queen Elizabeth II | Big Ben's tower to be renamed in honour of Queen Elizabeth II |
| (4 months later) | |
| A parliamentary proposal for the tower housing Big Ben to be renamed in honour of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee is supported by a majority of MPs, according to the backers of the campaign. | A parliamentary proposal for the tower housing Big Ben to be renamed in honour of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee is supported by a majority of MPs, according to the backers of the campaign. |
| Forty MPs have signed a Commons early day motion calling for the east tower at the Palace of Westminster to be formally named the Elizabeth Tower, despite protestations from republicans opposing the change to the Houses of Parliament. | Forty MPs have signed a Commons early day motion calling for the east tower at the Palace of Westminster to be formally named the Elizabeth Tower, despite protestations from republicans opposing the change to the Houses of Parliament. |
| A formal letter of support has now been circulated by the Conservative MP who tabled the motion, Tobias Ellwood, who said that it had the backing of all three party leaders and more than half of MPs. | A formal letter of support has now been circulated by the Conservative MP who tabled the motion, Tobias Ellwood, who said that it had the backing of all three party leaders and more than half of MPs. |
| He has written to Commons leader Sir George Young to request that he raises the matter with the House of Commons Commission for formal consideration later this month. | He has written to Commons leader Sir George Young to request that he raises the matter with the House of Commons Commission for formal consideration later this month. |
| Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, said: "Over the last three months I have sought opinion from fellow MPs to request the House of Commons Commission take forward the proposal to rename the Clock Tower the Elizabeth Tower. | Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, said: "Over the last three months I have sought opinion from fellow MPs to request the House of Commons Commission take forward the proposal to rename the Clock Tower the Elizabeth Tower. |
| "Commemorating such an iconic landmark is indeed a truly exceptional tribute and I am grateful that a majority of MPs have now confirmed that the Queen deserves such an outstanding accolade." | "Commemorating such an iconic landmark is indeed a truly exceptional tribute and I am grateful that a majority of MPs have now confirmed that the Queen deserves such an outstanding accolade." |
| Ellwood's motion is backed by former foreign secretaries Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, and urges MPs to support the move "in recognition of Her Majesty's 60 years of unbroken public service on behalf of her country". | Ellwood's motion is backed by former foreign secretaries Jack Straw and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, and urges MPs to support the move "in recognition of Her Majesty's 60 years of unbroken public service on behalf of her country". |
| It notes that, in 1860, when the west tower of the Palace of Westminster – hitherto known as the King's Tower – was rebuilt, it was renamed the Victoria Tower in honour of the country's longest-serving monarch. Only the present Queen and Victoria have been on the throne long enough to celebrate a diamond jubilee, it adds, paying tribute to the Queen's "energy, wisdom and grace". | It notes that, in 1860, when the west tower of the Palace of Westminster – hitherto known as the King's Tower – was rebuilt, it was renamed the Victoria Tower in honour of the country's longest-serving monarch. Only the present Queen and Victoria have been on the throne long enough to celebrate a diamond jubilee, it adds, paying tribute to the Queen's "energy, wisdom and grace". |
| The anti-monarchist pressure group Republic has criticised the proposal as "crass and profoundly inappropriate given that the tower in question is a landmark of our democratic parliament". | The anti-monarchist pressure group Republic has criticised the proposal as "crass and profoundly inappropriate given that the tower in question is a landmark of our democratic parliament". |
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