Chief mouser Larry welcomed new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to No. 10 by proudly parading a dead mouse outside Downing Street following a midnight cabinet reshuffle. The 19-year-old rescue cat was spotted casually strolling outside No. 10 on Tuesday morning with a dead mouse dangling from his jaws, on the same day Burnham held his first cabinet meeting.
Burnham's Cabinet Reshuffle
The new PM worked up to the midnight deadline on Monday sacking key members of Sir Keir Starmer's former government and appointing a fresh line-up. But while politicians pack their bags, Downing Street's most ruthless civil servant isn't going anywhere.
Larry Outlasts Six PMs
Burnham takes power as the UK’s seventh Prime Minister in just a decade, replacing Starmer following his resignation last month. The famous tabby has now outlasted six previous prime ministers, including David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer. Because Larry is an official civil servant, funded by No. 10 staff rather than the taxpayer, political chaos never threatens his job security.
Watch Your Step
Burnham, famously dubbed the "King of the North," moves into the iconic London address alongside his wife, Marie-France van Heel, and their rescue dog, Axel. However, the new PM may need to watch his step. Larry, who was adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home back in 2011, has a fiery history with other animals. He famously fought a vicious turf war with former Foreign Office cat Palmerston and routinely got into "heated exchanges" with Rishi Sunak's puppy, Nova.
Larry's Duties
Whether Burnham's pooch Axel will fair any better against No. 10's resident hitman remains to be seen. According to his official government profile, Larry's day job includes "greeting guests, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality." Though David Cameron once confessed Larry was "not very keen on men," the veteran cat famously charmed US President Barack Obama and was once snapped lurking on a windowsill during a visit from Donald Trump.
Burnham may have survived a midnight cabinet reshuffle, but the bloody doorstep message proves one thing: Larry still runs this house.
