Scorecard

Customarily, politicians do not agree that it would be entirely a good thing to reopen the gym. "The problem would be clothes," says Sir Hamilton. "If a division bell rings, you've got six minutes to reach the division lobby before the doors shut. It would be rather a sensation if people arrived in shorts, and not very desirable for the dignity of Parliament."

On the contrary, says Labor M.P. Norman Dodds, who once weighed 156 pounds when he was running marathons but is now up to 198. A gym, he argues, is essential to a Member of Parliament who wants to be "on his toes and ready to shoot it out. Whether you're watching a play, attending the cinema or making love," he says, "it just gives you that edge."