Tessa Jowell Appears On Google Maps

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 164 months ago
Tessa Jowell Appears On Google Maps

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Tessa Jowell, the Labour MP and previous Olympic minister, is showing up as a location on Google Maps.

The map positions her in in the eastern portion of the Palace of Westminster, a little ways south of the clock tower. She doesn't show up at all on embedded versions of the map, and there are no other MPs listed, though nearby points of interest such as St Stephen's Timms Tavern and Big Ben Bradshaw feature. Google Street View within the Palace is disabled, so it's impossible to get a glimpse of the slothful Dulwich & West Norwood MP napping at her desk. Perhaps the former minister is so rarely mobile that the company's engineers decided she could serve as a landmark. Curiously, Tessa has a number of reviews, including one fulsome account which simply reads: "For anyone visiting London, Tessa Jowell is one of the finest landmarks the city has to offer.‎"

Of many theories as to the whys and wherefores of Ms. Jowell's unlikely appearance, we're currently working on the notion that it's a helpful hint for investigators looking into the affairs of the MP's estranged husband, David Mills, accused of money laundering in Italy. Any other ideas?

Update: The Guardian has contacted Google, who respond that "the information and listings contained in Google Maps are provided by a third party and this is included in that database". But who is the third party?

Last Updated 14 July 2010