Daily catch-up: What the half-term tourists thronging Westminster could have seen

Modern architecture news, plus a slubberdegullion as we wait for the Brussels deal

Portcullis House, the ancillary block opposite Big Ben,* is ugly enough, but look at what we were saved from. This, from the Ian Visits blog, would have been an offence against the senses, looking like a brutalist multistorey car park, with "floor plans stacked in layers and interpenetrated". It came joint third in a competition to design a replacement for the block known as Bridge Street, Palace Chambers and St Stephen's House in 1972.

Previously from Ian Visits, the plans for a Georgian Palace of Westminster.

*Yes I know that's the bell. But who actually calls it Elizabeth Tower?

• "For the first time in British history, the prime minister will be chosen not at a general election or by Members of Parliament, but by party activists." Good point by Stephen Bush about the forthcoming Conservative leadership election. George Osborne is still the favourite at the bookies, ahead of Boris Johnson.

• From the start, Amol Rajan says he knew he’d be the Independent’s last print editor. He did great things as editor, not least deciding that we should call it Bombay not Mumbai. I am looking forward to being Chief Political Commentator for the digital-only Independent.

• Slubberdegullion is one of Top 10 historical insults from Oxford Words blog.

• While we wait for news from Brussels, another plug for my article for Politico on how, deal or no deal, win or lose the referendum, David Cameron is in trouble. The Europe question is going to divide his party as deeply as Iraq divided Blair's Labour (half of his backbenchers voted against in a whipped vote).

• And finally, thanks to Internet Hippo for this:

ANCIENT ROMANS: We must appease the gods with a sacrifice.

GODS: Honestly we were furious, but now that you’ve murdered that goat we’re cool.