Larry the Downing Street cat is ‘a little s***’, says minister
The Prime Minister’s chief mouser was described as a ‘little s***’ by Labour minister Ian Murray.
The 17-year-old feline has out-served six prime ministers and become a beloved character in British politics as somewhat of a celebrity.
However, Scottish secretary Ian Murray seemed less than impressed upon meeting the prestigious figure.
Speaking to business leaders in Glasgow on Friday, Murray said that as much as he and his colleagues were excited to meet Larry, he didn’t quite live up to their expectations.
‘We were initially like kids in a sweet shop,’ he said.
‘Because the first thing we all did, we had the election, we had the overnight counts, the 37 Scottish Labour MPs got their photographs taken in Glasgow, we darted to the airport, we got to London, just made it to London in time.
‘And without putting too fine a point on it, Larry the cat is a little shit. So none of us got a picture with Larry the cat.
‘Larry the cat is the most miserable animal you’ll ever meet in your life. I’m not surprised given who he’s had to live with for the last ten years.’
Despite this harsh review, Larry the cat has still been rated higher than any serving Prime Minister, according to opinion polls.
Larry was also branded a ‘thug’ by Boris Johnson after he allegedly ‘mauled’ the former PM’s Jack Russell-cross Dilyn when he tried to steal the cat’s food.
It seems Larry has some competition, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he had introduced a new Siberian kitten to Downing Street earlier this month.
The Starmer family already live with their rescue cat, JoJo, meaning there will be a few furry friends at number 10.
Sir Keir revealed that having pets at Downing Street had proven to be quite difficult, given the property’s high-security measures.
‘The problem we’ve got, which is the same for JoJo the cat, is that the only door out of our new flat is bomb-proof,’ he said.
‘Therefore, getting a cat flap in is proving a little bit difficult. But our daughters persuaded us that the problem isn’t any bigger for two cats than one.
‘And therefore, we’re now getting this kitten.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.