Larry the Cat has now outlasted six prime ministers
Larry has seen the back of plenty of feline, mice and foxes in Downing Street and has also now outlasted half a dozen prime ministers
Amid a turbulent time in British politics, with five prime ministers departing in a decade, if there has been one consistency in Downing Street then it is Larry, the chief mouser to the Cabinet.
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Despite questions about his age and possible retirement, the 19-year-old feline is set to remain in post for his sixth prime minister once Sir Keir Starmer vacates No 10.
The Labour leader announced on Monday that he would be preparing a timeline to step down from the post, with a successor likely to be announced over the summer.
Larry came from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home where he was rescued as a stray and given the historic role as he was noted for being particularly good at keeping mice away.
He has been a much-loved fixture of Downing Street over the years, sharing paws with Barack Obama and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, chasing off a fox, and having a rivalry with foreign office cat Palmerston, who died in February.
Larry was hired in 2011 under David Cameron, who turned out to be his longest-serving owner - the Tory lasting until 2016 when he resigned after Brexit.
Read also: Andy Burnham sworn in as an MP after Keir Starmer’s resignation
