Larry, the treasured tabby-and-white cat who lives in Downing Street, was dragged into Britain's political fray Friday after a leading candidate to be prime minister mused about moving in with her four felines.
Penny Mordaunt, the bookmaker's favourite to replace Boris Johnson in the famous residence, revealed in an online forum that she has a quartet of Burmese cats, which she cited when asked for her biggest weakness.
"Introducing them into Number 10 might present some challenges with Larry," she told the question-and-answer session hosted by the Conservative Home website.
A stalwart of the UK political scene, Larry has ruled the roost in Downing Street for more than a decade.
Three Conservative prime ministers -- David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson -- have served under him.
He arrived in 2011 aged four, after being adopted from a London animal shelter and chosen for his mousing skills.
Given the title Chief Mouser, he also has his own unofficial Twitter account -- @Number10cat -- with more than 635,000 followers.
Earlier this month, as the scandal-tarred Johnson announced he would resign once a successor is selected, Larry took to social media to "clarify a few things".
"1. I'm not 'Boris Johnson's cat' 2. Like all prime ministers, he's only a temporary resident of Downing Street 3. I live here permanently. When he finally goes, I stay 4. Yes, it's all very embarrassing but it will be over soon," @Number10cat tweeted.
(AFP)
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.