MPs order 'significant' upgrade for Parliament's gym after 'Action Man' Labour leader hopeful Al Carns complains the ceiling is too low for pull-ups

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 13:16, 19 May 2026 | Updated: 13:29, 19 May 2026 MPs have urged a 'significant' upgrade for the Parliamentary gym after a slew of complaints it is too tatty. Labour leadership hopeful Al Carns is among the politicians who have been griping about the state of the facilities. The veterans minister - a former Royal Marine - told the House's Administration Committee he had to dismantle the ceiling in order to do pull-ups. Other witnesses raised the need for more support for MPs going through the menopause or on slimming jabs, as well as condemning grotty changing rooms and the lack of 24-hour access.  In a report, the cross-party body has now concluded the gym is 'nowhere near the level we would expect' and must be 'significantly improved'. The committee said the immediate overhaul should upgrade equipment as well as 'increasing locker capacity and provision for hanging formal attire'. But in the longer-term the MPs said a larger facility at Westminster should be created.  The £40-a-month fee - or £45 including towels - was also criticised as 'expensive' given the standard of the 'gym experience'.  The location of the facilities in a basement has been a source of gripes from MPs   The exclusive gym on the Westminster estate has been hit with a laundry list of complaints, including that showers are 'decrepit' Labour leadership hopeful Al Carns is among the politicians who have been griping about the state of the facilities The site within the secure zone at Parliament is operated by a charitable trust, but taxpayers make up any shortfall in funding. That amounted to £25,000 last year, as well as providing the premises.  The committee said that as only 560 people had an annual membership of the gym that meant the public purse was contributing £44 a month for each. 'Ongoing observations from gym staff indicate that very few parliamentarians are regular users of the onsite gym,' the report said.  The committee said it was 'of the view that more could be done to increase capacity and quality at an accessible price, whilst ensuring the impact on the taxpayer is proportionate'. The cost of the overhaul has not been estimated.  Giving evidence to the committee in October, Mr Carns said the gym did not have the 'correct facilities or capabilities to match the standard and pressures of parliamentary life'. Mr Carns - who is poised to enter a looming Labour leadership contest - said he personally went 'four or five days a week', but the facilties were not 'welcoming' or 'attractive' with 'decrepit' showers.  'The gym itself is in a basement - I am sure you will all have been there - and it is in need of refreshment and repair,' he told his colleagues.  'There are facings missing, and in some cases the showers are way out of date. The changing facilities do not have hangers for your suits.  'You cannot have and keep a locker; you have to take a locker. You have to lay your suit on the bench when you need to get into it, unless you hang it on your door, which usually bangs into three or four other people to your left and right.'  Mr Carns said because he was 'quite tall' he needed to 'remove the panels in the roof' in order to do pull-ups.  He argued that the gym should be providing services from 'menopause advice and mental health all the way through to some heavy weights, big bars and CrossFit capabilities'  'People look at us as leaders, whether we like it or not, and there is an element of us setting a standard by collectively taking care of ourselves,' Mr Carns said.  'It also helps us to operate more effectively as Members of Parliament or individuals in Parliament by taking care of our health and wellbeing.'  Mr Carns said: 'The gym is open at 7am and closes at night, yet most modern gyms have 24/7 access.  'Can we have a look at facilitating that? It is an assurance issue, but there is something about having an open-access gym. If we need to put CCTV in there or whatever, that would be fantastic.' Mr Carns also highlighted the costs as a reason why there was a barely 3 per cent usage rate among the 15,000 Parliamentary passholders - although he stressed it was not an issue for MPs earning over £90,000.  The committee said: 'The current condition of the gym is nowhere near the level we would expect for the money its members pay, and for a modern organisation, which values the ability of passholders to be able to engage in physical exercise to support their health and wellbeing.  'Regular roof leaks, poor quality changing facilities and dated décor result in an unappealing space.' The report added: 'We recommend an urgent evaluation of the current location to decide whether it is viable and can be significantly improved to meet the diverse needs of the parliamentary community.  'An improved facility in its current facility must be good enough for at least another 10 years.  'In the short term, the gym must be refurbished to a higher standard. In the medium term, an alternative location for the gym should be considered as part of wider plans for the secure Estate.  'This evaluation piece must be completed by October 2026 and report back to the House Administration with a long-term vision for facilities to better support health and fitness. This evaluation should include an ambitious timescale for delivering an improved offer.'  The committee added: 'Evidence shows that supporting people's health in the workplace delivers strong financial returns: a healthy workforce is more productive and high performing.' The Parliamentary gym is located underneath Portcullis House in Parliament's secure zone  On the issue of the membership fees, the report said: 'We recommend the gym reviews its pricing model to increase accessibility and use, while minimising compensation payments.  'More flexible pricing should be offered so that MPs and staff who only spend part of their week in Westminster will be provided with better incentives to join.'  In October, Labour MP Carolyn Harris asked about support for women going through the menopause - and also suggested that there could be tailored programmes for people who have been using slimming jabs. The committee said: 'We recommend that the House of Commons gym provides more support for women experiencing menopause symptoms by offering specific exercise programmes and classes that will help women manage their weight, boost their metabolism and improve their mental health.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.