Keir Starmer welcomed Prince to 10 Downing Street in 2024 (Image: Simon Dawson/10 Downing Street)
A row has erupted after Tories accused Sir Keir Starmer of using Government cars to take his pet cat Prince between Downing Street and Chequers. Conservative MP Richard Holden asked in a written parliamentary question if the Prime Minister’s pets were transported to and from London and his country residence in Buckinghamshire when he is there.
Sir Keir welcomed a white Siberian kitten to No 10 shortly after becoming PM which he named Prince. The new arrival joined the family’s rescue cat JoJo as well as Downing Street’s Larrie, who has lived at Number 10 under various Prime Ministers.
Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds said the information is “not held centrally”, but added that “previous residents of Downing Street have frequently, and publicly, taken pets between residences”.
Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake told The Spectator: “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.
“Labour spent years attacking fat cats. Turns out they just wanted one of their own on the back seat, at the taxpayer’s expense.”
But a Labour source hit back: “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.”
It comes as Sir Keir is spending his final weeks in 10 Downing Street before Andy Burnham is set to take over later this month.