One Direction banned from filming on British Parliamentary grounds

One Direction were banned from filming on the grounds of London's Houses of Parliament last year (12) after their request to shoot promotional footage at the landmark was deemed inappropriate.

The Best Song Ever hitmakers were reportedly turned down by a group of British politicians, led by Conservative Party member Nicholas Soames, after they asked for permission to use Big Ben in a promotional video celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee (12).

A source tells Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper, "I'm not even sure he (Soames) even knew who One Direction were. But he made it pretty clear that he thought it was an inappropriate idea. I think his view was that the House of Commons is not a playground to be used as a backdrop for the latest trendy pop group... The committee kicked the idea into the long grass (dismissed it). Given Soames' opposition, One Direction shouldn't expect to be cavorting around Big Ben anytime soon."

It is not clear whether the band intended to film inside the tower, which has since been renamed the Elizabeth Tower in the Queen's honour, but the pop stars included brief footage of the historic clock tower in the video for their 2012 hit, One Way or Another.