A rats to riches story: Larry the Downing Street cat finds place in TV spotlight | Politics

HI have seen six prime ministers come and go, watched presidents and princes pass through the black doors of No 10, and soon they will be the longest continuous resident of Downing Street since Pitt the Younger.

The landscape of British politics has changed a lot in the last 15 years, but Larry the cat has remained a reassuring constant. Now his enduring popularity – something some temporary owners would kill for – will feature in a new Channel 4 documentary series about Britain’s love of cats. It has been long awaited for his fans to come to the fore.

“Larry is exactly the man to meet at number 10,” said a Westminster source, adding that – as the police officers on duty outside the entrance to number 10 who regularly opened the door for him would attest – “he has the run of the house”.

Larry, whose official title is head rat of the Cabinet Office at 10 Downing Street, has secretly found his way into the heart of the UK government after being adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to solve a rodent problem.

His is a rags-to-riches story that would put any ridiculous political biopic to shame. He was found as a stray in Wandsworth and arrived at Westminster in 2011, when David Cameron and Nick Clegg’s coalition government was still in its infancy.

If tensions were high between his unlikely government colleagues, Cameron was keen to settle any hostilities between himself and the country’s new favorite cat. “Rumors say I don’t like Larry – I do,” he said in a PMQ.

Now a more established figure than he was then, Larry seems to have gotten used to the glare of the spotlight. Often seen waiting patiently outside the front door on live broadcasts, his relaxed demeanor in front of audiences has become a nuisance for the Downing Street gardener; Larry often visits the front flower field to do his business.

His official government page He explains that the 18-year-old tabby “spends his days greeting guests coming to the house, inspecting security defenses and testing the sleep quality of antique furniture” and lists his daily responsibilities as “finding a solution to the mouse invasion in the house.”

Cambridge University geography professor Philip Howell, who has written extensively about the human-animal relationship, explained that despite being the first cat to bear its special title, cats have been welcome in the corridors of power for at least a century. “Stability is a big part of Larry’s appeal,” he said.

“Larry provides the public with much-needed continuity and nonpartisan continuity.”

Photographer Justin Ng, who has been firm friends with Larry over the years and is often in the press pen outside No. 10, agrees. He said: “His determination and unique ability to turn up at the right time and pose for all of us makes him so endearing to everyone.”

“As soon as something happens on the street, especially an official visit, like clockwork, he’ll be out front,” a Downing Street source said. “He loves the red carpet.”

Former US president Barack Obama and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy are just some of the world leaders he has captivated. But not all leaders were this passionate.

“Theresa May hated him because he was a dog person,” said Ng, who witnessed several MPs trying and failing to pet Larry (Matt Hancock and David Lammy are on the list).

Former Scotland secretary Ian Murray went so far as to describe Larry as a “little bastard” for refusing to pose with the newly formed Labor cabinet, while Ng added: “I think Larry had the last laugh on him.”

Like all political animals, Larry has had public feuds, most notably with Palmerston, the cat who lived at the Foreign Office until his retirement in August 2020. A police officer on duty at Number 10 said the two could often be seen fighting violently. Did the police ever intervene? “Oh no, no. You can’t get into a cat fight,” the officer said.

Meanwhile, Larry’s popularity among the public is undeniable. There are various social media accounts dedicated to the country’s top mice, most notably the humorous Number10Cat X account, which has more than 868,000 followers. Larry also receives fan mail, toys and treats from around the world and was recently featured in journalist and former special advisor Peter Cardwell’s book Political Animals.

When he’s not walking the sidewalks, Larry’s frequent sleeping places include his printer and input trays, but his favorite places are the window sills on either side of the front door.

Ng says Larry’s paintbrush and the Dreamies were stored in the Duke of Wellington’s dresser in the foyer of Downing Street; this much is known to the wardens, officers and officers with whom he interacts every day. Those who feed him or carry treats are Larry’s favorites.

Of course, as the top cat, Larry also receives his share of criticism. The New Statesman’s political editor, Andrew Marr, recently accused Larry of being a “welfare addict”, going so far as to describe him as “too fat and idle to really do his job”.

In this period of pre-budget belt-tightening, sources close to Larry issued a harsh rebuke. In fact, they say, Larry was not publicly funded, but that Downing Street staff paid his expenses voluntarily. Enough fur!