Big Ben will bong for Brexit – but only as a test

Whether trial chime will herald stark blow to UK economy remains in hands of negotiators

A Union Jack flag flutters in the breeze in front of the clock face of the Elizabeth Tower (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

Big Ben will ring out to mark the end of the Brexit withdrawal period on 31 December – but only as part of routine tests.

The iconic bell has been largely silent since 2017 due to repairs on the clock and Parliament’s Elizabeth Tower in which it is housed, but is sporadically reconnected for special events.

It will chime at 11pm on New Year’s Eve as the UK leaves the EU’s single market and custom’s union – in one of a series of routine tests to ensure it can produce its 12 bongs when the clock strikes midnight to mark the arrival of the new year.

House of Commons authorities confirmed the bell would be reconnected in the final days of the year in order to mark the start of 2021.

It follows a row earlier this year as Brexiteers tried – and ultimately failed – to get the bell to ring in the moment the UK left the EU on 31 January.

The bell, which weighs 13.7 tonnes, last rang on 11 November to mark Armistice Day.

A press release from 2019 suggests this year’s tests will be carried out much the same fashion as before – despite the additional Brexit landmark.

Last year, technical tests began on 29 December, with 12 strikes at both 11pm and 12pm the following day, during which it was tested for live broadcasts.

Finally, on New Year’s Eve, Big Ben was struck at 4pm, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm and, finally, at midnight.

Meanwhile, members of the public have been urged to stay away from Westminster on New Year’s Eve in line with coronavirus restrictions, after London joined much of the rest of England in the strongest tier of rules on Wednesday.

While the government has granted a heavily contested amnesty over the festive period – with the prime minister on Wednesday urging people to have a “merry little Christmas, and I do mean little” – the planned relaxation is due to end on 27 December.

As a result, “no-one should be gathering in large groups to see in the new year”, Boris Johnson said.

It remains to be seen whether the sounding of Big Ben will herald what official forecasts paint as a stark blow to the UK economy if the country crashes out of the bloc without a trade deal. 

After months of stalled talks, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier cited “good progress” with several “last stumbling blocks” still to overcome on Thursday – with the European Parliament having set a deadline of Sunday for any deal to be ratified before the transition period ends.

Additional reporting by PA