Britain’s Labour Party came to power after the July 2024 general election, with Keir Starmer taking office as Prime Minister. Now, Starmer, 63, has announced he will resign, citing dissatisfaction within the party. The person chosen as the new Labour leader is expected to assume the premiership soon.
While political leadership changes, one resident of the Prime Minister’s official home at 10 Downing Street has remained unchanged for years: Larry the cat. Staff brought Larry to the residence during David Cameron’s tenure, and the cat has lived there ever since.
Downing Street staff have given Larry the title “Chief Mouser” and continue to care for him regardless of who occupies the top job. As staff often remark, prime ministers may be temporary, but Larry is a permanent fixture of the house.
Larry is frequently seen roaming around the residence and appears in photos and videos taken by visiting world leaders, officials and journalists. Having witnessed six prime ministers—Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and now Starmer—Larry is now, as the staff joke, waiting for the seventh.
The cat has also become a social media celebrity, with a dedicated page followed by about 900,000 people. After Starmer’s resignation announcement, a tongue-in-cheek post saying Larry had “accepted” the resignation has gone viral online.
