Prime Minister Andy Burnham has revealed his pet dog Axel will not be travelling back and forth between London and Manchester now he is PM. The rescue dog, adopted through the Dog Trust in 2017, is a bichon poo – a cross between a bichon frisé and a poodle.
Concerns over clash with Larry
In an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Burnham described Axel as having “that angry little man thing going on” and said he was worried his pet would clash with Downing Street mouser Larry the cat. “I don't think the nation would thank me would they if I brought Axel down to disturb Larry's world,” he said. “These are the big decisions that have been made.”
Dog to stay up north
Axel will remain up north, but Burnham, working from No10 North at least once a week, will still get quality time with his owner. Kuenssberg asked about the country's obsession with politicians' pets, noting Burnham's family dog. The Prime Minister interrupted to describe him as “Famous Axel”.
Previous Downing Street dogs
Recent Prime Ministers have brought their dogs into Downing Street. Boris Johnson's unruly Jack Russell cross Dilyn used to cling on to guests' legs, unable to control what his owner described as “romantic urges”. Better behaved was Rishi Sunak's dog, Labrador Retriever Nova, who joined the Sunak family as a puppy in 2021 and was frequently pictured with her Prime Minister owner during his tenure.
