Labour announces new HQ location

The Labour party today unveiled its new London base ahead of a move from its Millbank headquarters.

The party has taken out a ?5.5m mortgage to move to the 11,200sq ft open plan premises at 16-18 Old Queen Street, Westminster, overlooking St James Park.

Party chiefs announced in July last year that they were moving out of Millbank after seven years because of an "unfavourable" rent rise.

Officials will move to Old Queen Street in the summer, before the party conference season begins.

The Labour party chairman, Charles Clarke, said: "This is excellent news for the Labour party and will provide us with a new Westminster base where we will be close to parliament and the rest of the political community.

"We have found new premises that meet our needs for a modern political campaign centre which will keep us at the forefront of political campaigning and supporting our members."

The new base will be run in tandem with an office in North Shields, Tyneside, which is already in operation.

The Labour party general secretary, David Triesman, said it was an "historic step forward" for the party.

"I believe it will give us a long-term London base benefiting our staff, members and elected representatives," he added. "We have innovated a new approach which means that working together with our joint head office in North Shields we will be able to provide a first-class service to our members across the country."

Labour took out a seven-year lease at Millbank in 1995 after moving from Walworth Road in the Elephant and Castle, south London.

The new offices, described as modernised and air conditioned, are a short walk from the Houses of Parliament.