The Conservative Party has accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of using government vehicles to transport his pet cat Prince between 10 Downing Street and the Prime Minister's country residence, Chequers, in Buckinghamshire. The accusation came in a written parliamentary question from Conservative MP Richard Holden, who asked whether official cars were used to transport the Prime Minister's pets when he stays at Chequers.
Background on the pet
Sir Keir welcomed a white Siberian kitten named Prince to Downing Street shortly after becoming Prime Minister. The cat joined the family's existing rescue cat, JoJo, as well as Larry the cat, who has lived at No 10 under multiple Prime Ministers. The government's response, delivered by Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds, stated that the information requested is "not held centrally," but noted that "previous residents of Downing Street have frequently, and publicly, taken pets between residences."
Political backlash
Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake criticized the Prime Minister in an interview with the Spectator, saying: "Starmer has finally found one passenger who never questions his judgement and given him a chauffeur. The Prime Minister is taking the puss. While hard-working families face higher taxes and higher bills, the ministerial fleet now runs a cat delivery service to Chequers." He added: "Labour spent years attacking fat cats. Turns out they just wanted one of their own on the back seat, at the taxpayer's expense."
Labour's response
A Labour source hit back, referencing the previous Conservative government's pet expenses: "Kevin has short memory! He was around when Boris Johnson's dog Dilyn had a whale of a time at Chequers causing thousands of pounds of damage. I don't imagine Dilyn the dog walked himself to Buckinghamshire." This retort highlights the perceived hypocrisy of the Conservative criticism, given past incidents involving pet-related costs under the previous administration.
The controversy comes as Sir Keir Starmer spends his final weeks in No 10, with Andy Burnham expected to take over as Prime Minister later this month. The row underscores ongoing tensions between the parties over government spending and privilege.
