10 downing street press office phone number
The other floors contain offices and conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the prime minister works, and where government ministers, national leaders and foreign dignitaries are met and hosted. Number Montreal -. "The whole project has been a frightful waste of money because it just has not been done properly. There is one exception. 10, Downing Street, circa 1754. It was an easy transition: he was already First Lord of the Treasury and he was already living in Number 10. The work of a slave of the holy place, Maqsud of Kashan in the year 926" (the Islamic year corresponding to 1520). [14], Downing did not live in Downing Street. Painted off-white with large floor to ceiling windows along one of the long walls, the room is light and airy. In the foreword, Thatcher described her feelings for Number 10: "How much I wish that the public could share with me the feeling of Britain's historic greatness which pervades every nook and cranny of this complicated and meandering old building All Prime Ministers are intensely aware that, as tenants and stewards of No. Winston Churchill, for example, had a great affection for Number 10, but, during World War II, he grudgingly slept in the hastily converted flat on the ground floor of what was then the New Public Office building (NPO) at nearby Storey's Gate. If he declines it, the Chancellor of the Exchequer occupies it, not as Chancellor of the Exchequer, but as second in the Commission of the Treasury. The building hosts offices, conference, dining, and sitting rooms. Blick, Andrew and Jones, George (2010). Since 1735, it has been home to the UK's prime ministers. The table is surrounded by carved, solid mahogany chairs that also date from the Gladstone era. Walpole commissioned William Kent to convert them into one building. 10 is in stark contrast to the five prime ministers who have taken office in the past 12 years: David Cameron,. Since July 2016 the Prime Minister has been Rt Hon Theresa May MP. [42], Shortly after moving in, Walpole ordered that a portion of the land outside his study be converted into a terrace and garden. [77][81] Macmillan lived in Admiralty House during the reconstruction. About half belong to the Government Art Collection. The new warrant issued in 1682 reads: "Sir George Downing [is authorised] to build new and more houses subject to the proviso that it be not built any nearer than 14feet of the wall of the said Park at the West end thereof". Greater transparency across government is at the heart of our commitment to let you hold politicians and public bodies to account. Please note, if you have a media query concerning the Prime Minister or media access to Downing Street - please call the press office for No10 Downing Street. Overall rating. By the turn of the 20th century, photography and the penny press had linked Number 10 in the public mind with the premiership. "Under (Prime Minister) Blair . By the 1800s the houses had nearly all been taken over by the government. 10 Downing Street, The Story of a House. The post of First Lord of the Treasury has, for much of the 18th and 19th centuries and invariably since 1905, been held by the prime minister. [105][106] At the bottom of the staircase are group photographs of Prime Ministers with their Cabinet ministers and representatives to imperial conferences. 10 Downing Street, known in the UK as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury. "[45], Walpole lived in Number 10 until 1742. [147] (See the Small Dining or Breakfast Room c1927. [148])[149], The terrace and garden were constructed in 1736 shortly after Walpole moved into Number 10. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. [43], The same document confirmed that Number 10 Downing Street was: "meant to be annexed & united to the Office of his Majesty's Treasury & to be & to remain for the Use & Habitation of the first Commissioner of his Majesty's Treasury for the time being". Save. Behind its black door have been taken the most important decisions affecting Britain for the last 275 years. A committee found that the money spent so far was insufficient. In the reconstruction during the late 1980s, Quinlan Terry used Corinthian columns and added ornate Baroque-style central ceiling mouldings and corner mouldings of the four national flowers of the United Kingdom: rose (England), thistle (Scotland), daffodil (Wales) and shamrock (Northern Ireland). In 1800 the wealth he had accumulated was used to found Downing College, Cambridge, as had been his wish should his descendants fail in the male line. 10 Downing Street is located in the City of Westminster, just a short walk away from the Palace of Westminster and Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. The houses deteriorated from neglect, became unsafe, and one by one were demolished. She was the grandmother of King George I, the Elector of Hanover, who became King of Great Britain in 1714, and was the great-grandmother of King George II, who presented the house to Walpole in 1732. The prime minister's chair, the only one with arms, is situated midway along one side in front of the marble fireplace, facing the windows; when not in use, it is positioned at an angle for easy access. She said this needed to be addressed as a priority, and Boris Johnson agreed to the Office of the Prime Minister becoming a Government department. Lastly, Google made this crystal-clear 360-degree virtual tour of some of the rooms in 10 Downing Street. 2 stars. He may be the most beloved resident of 10 Downing Street in the modern era and his activities are watched closely by the press and the adoring public. [80] In the end, the cost was close to 3,000,000 and took almost three years due in large part to 14 labour strikes. Share. Press Briefing Afternoon 11 June 2012 . This video below made for the 2012 Olympics, gives you a good look into the public rooms inside 10 Downing Street. International agreements have been signed in this room. 10 from the Cabinet Office, was passed through with such frequency that its meaning was lost. London The remainder are on loan from private collectors and from public galleries such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery. The IRA mortar attack in February 1991 led to extensive work being done to repair the damage (mostly to the garden and exterior walls) and to improve security. The Letterbox is Useless. Grace. There have been barriers erected along both sides of Downing Street since the 1920s. Originally, the door was made of Georgian black oak; it is today made of blast-proof steel and takes a reported eight men to lift it. Official page for the office of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, based at 10 Downing Street. [61][62] (See Numbers 10, 11, and 12 Downing Street First Floor Plan[63] and Ground Floor Plan. ", "QI: Quite interesting facts about 10 Downing Street", Plate 126: No. . 5 . In 1766, for example, Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, pointed out that the house was in a dilapidated condition. Within a few years, dry rot was discovered, especially in the main rooms due to inadequate waterproofing and a broken water pipe. [11] When the Hampden lease expired, Downing received permission to build on land further west to take advantage of more recent property developments. In the summer of 1993 windows were rebuilt and in 1995 computer cables installed. T: 011-61-293-552-2700. The attack led to the addition of guardhouses at the street ends as well as other less visible measures to further improve security of Downing Street. That has changed, and now security is very tight, as one would expect for the home of a country's head of government. Since the door had no keyhole, the inside officer depended upon the lone outside officer. The Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; also known as '10 Downing Street' or 'No 10' . During Thatcher's premiership, terrorist threats led to the implementation of a second level of security. [41] The name changes according to the colour it is painted. [75] The interior would be photographed, measured, disassembled, and restored. Princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter of King James I, lived there from 1604 until 1613 when she married Frederick V, Elector Palatine and moved to Heidelberg. One of the largest rooms was a study measuring forty feet by twenty with enormous windows overlooking St James's Park. [19][20], From that time, the "House at the Back" was usually occupied by members of the royal family or the government. The front door to Number 10 is most likely the most famous feature of the building. Until the late 19th century, Prime Ministers were required to furnish Number 10 at their own expense with furniture, tableware, china, linens, curtains and decorations. [67] Harold Wilson, during his second ministry from 1974 to 1976, lived in his home in Lord North Street because Mary Wilson wanted "a proper home". [127][128] (See The Pillared Drawing Room c1927). The huge . Henry Pelham, for example, had his own spacious home and had no need for Number 10. Clickhere to get exact directions from your point of departure. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. Amsterdam The double doors behind the table lead to the State Dining Room. This was the pattern until the beginning of the 20th century. [a] The reorganisation brought about the fusion of the old Prime Minister's Office and other Cabinet Office teams, with a number of units (including the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit) now reporting directly into the Prime Minister's Office. Some of the original buildings were demolished to allow space to build and expand the Privy Council Office, the Board of Trade, and the Treasury Offices. Originally three houses, Number 10 was offered to Robert Walpole by King George II in 1732. This video below made for the 2012 Olympics, gives you a good look into the public rooms inside 10 Downing Street. However, some commentators have suggested that Blair's reforms have created something similar to a Prime Minister's Department. An Inside Look at 10 Downing Street. [90], To accommodate their large families, both Tony Blair and David Cameron chose to live in the private residence above Number 11 rather than the smaller one above Number 10. Lister served as acting chief of staff, but was replaced by Dan Rosenfield, who officially assumed the role in January 2021. Accessed through the first floor, its vaulted, arched ceiling rises up through the next so that it actually occupies two floors. However, the Prime Minister at the time, Harold Wilson, overturned the idea. This post covers tours of 10 Downing Street. [101] Number 10 Downing Street has a lift. 10, Downing Street: Official Dining Room, Plate 131: No. Protective Packaging Ltd. 2118 Jolicoeur Rue . [54] While there, Pitt reduced the national debt, formed the Triple Alliance against France and won passage of the Act of Union that created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Dry rot was widespread throughout. 10 Downing Street 5.3K views4 months ago CC Leaders Visit 10 Downing Street Play all President Duda of Poland visits Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street 10 Downing. Emails can be sent to the Prime Ministers Office using the link above. The Data Protection Officer provides independent advice and monitoring of Cabinet Office's use of personal information. Probably not completed until 1796,[114] this alteration was achieved by removing the east wall and rebuilding it several feet inside the adjoining secretaries' room. Jones, p. 89 and see also Soane's sketches of several versions of the State Dining Room on p. 84. secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, This became the subject of public controversy, principal private secretary to the prime minister, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Downing Street Director of Communications, Political Secretary to the Prime Minister, Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, "10 Surprising facts about Number 10 Downing Street", Cabinet Office letter dated 9 October 2018, "No. The Press Secretary works within the Prime Minister's Office and the Downing Street Press Office.. History. The doorbell is inscribed with "PUSH" although is rarely used in practice. The headquarters of His Majesty's Government, it is situated on Downing Street in the City of Westminster in London, England. Today, there is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I over the fireplace; during the Thatcher, Major and Blair Ministries, a portrait of William Pitt by Romney was hung there. 9750 Clark Street, Montreal 514-271-7776. 10 Downing Street, the locale of British prime ministers since 1735, vies with the White House as being the most important political building anywhere in the world in the modern era. [153] It was also the location of the first press conference announcing the Coalition Government between David Cameron's Conservatives and Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats. (See The State Dining Room c1930: View toward the entrance[141][142] and View from the entrance[143] and also a more modern view[144])[145], The great kitchen located in the basement was another part of the renovations begun in 1783, probably also under the direction of Robert Taylor. In 1924 when Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald took office, he did not own nor have the means to buy an extensive art collection. From 1997 to 2019 and since 2020, the most senior special adviser post is the Downing Street chief of staff but this job title was out of use from July 2019 to November 2020 when the role was split into two positions with Dominic Cummings[165][166][167] who served as the chief adviser to the prime minister, and Edward Lister[168][169] who served as the chief strategic adviser to the prime minister. [66] To reassure the people that his government was functioning normally, he insisted on being seen entering and leaving Number 10 occasionally, and indeed, continued to use it for meetings and dinners despite being urged not to.