Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Senior figures within Sir Keir Starmer’s administration have revealed that the government previously considered relocating from Downing Street due to concerns over its functionality as a modern workplace. Officials and ministers in several past governments have privately expressed frustrations with the building’s confusing and maze-like layout, which they say hampers effective collaboration among staff. James Lyons, who was Sir Keir’s director of communications until September 2025, confirmed that moving out was indeed discussed during his tenure.
According to two other senior insiders, early talks explored the possibility of transferring staff to an open-plan office space in another part of Whitehall. One potential site mentioned was a space within the nearby Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) building. However, these conversations remained in preliminary stages, and it remains unclear whether Sir Keir himself was directly involved in the discussions. Importantly, there was no suggestion that the Prime Minister would have relocated his official residence from Downing Street if such a move had proceeded.
Downing Street, which has been the official residence of British prime ministers since the 18th century, comprises over 100 rooms formed from the merging of three separate houses. The building was originally granted to Robert Walpole, often regarded as the UK’s first Prime Minister, by King George III in 1732. Despite its historical significance, some have questioned its suitability as a workspace. Lord Walker, former adviser to Sir Keir and head of supermarket chain Iceland, described Number 10 as a “Stuart-era building, not fit for purpose,” criticizing its small meeting rooms and multiple floors, which he said create hazards and inefficiencies.
James Lyons echoed these sentiments publicly, endorsing Lord Walker’s view and characterizing the building as a “gloomy, mice-infested, bomb-curtained rabbit warren.” He noted that staff working there envied colleagues in other departments with more modern office setups. While the idea of moving to a more collaborative open-plan environment was seriously considered, it did not advance beyond initial conversations. Throughout Sir Keir’s premiership, frustrations with Whitehall’s bureaucracy grew, exemplified by his criticism of civil servants for being comfortable “in the tepid bath of managed decline.” Darren Jones, Sir Keir’s former chief secretary, even revealed he unsuccessfully attempted to abolish the Cabinet Office three times as part of efforts to streamline government operations.
In the early days following Sir Keir’s leadership, Andy Burnham established the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which brings together Number 10, Number 10 North, and elements of the Cabinet Office under the leadership of Dame Antonia Romeo, the senior-most civil servant in the UK government. This reorganization aims to focus the government’s central operations on its key strategic priorities and ensure coordinated action when directives are issued. Observers close to Burnham indicate he has not yet formed an opinion on whether Downing Street is suitable as a working environment
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.