Last week, the Mirror revealed No. 10 now hires three official photographers – Andrew Parsons, Simon Dawson and Pippa Fowles. Today the public got to see the fruit of their taxpayer-funded labours: a four-part photoshoot of Boris’s dog Dilyn frolicking in the Downing Street garden snow. According to 2015 figures, this photographer could be earning up to £38,214…
Not to be outdone, Larry the No. 10 cat also got the luxury treatment yesterday, posing under a portrait of another elderly fat-cat who likewise lives a life of luxury at the public’s expense.
As much as Guido is a sucker for a cat picture on the internet, Parsons is on the part-time equivalent of £100,000 and most recent hire Simon Dawson rakes in £60,635. It seems Downing Street’s concern for frugal use of public funds has gone to the dogs, three official photographers are not a sign of efficient Conservative government with careful stewardship of public money.
UPDATE: Asked at Lobby why Boris’s photographers are taking pet pics, Allegra Stratton said “These photographers document the work for the government as well as the work inside No. 10”. When pressed on how Dilyn playing in the snow constitutes “work inside No. 10″ Stratton doubled down: “They document, the work of not just the Prime Minister, but the whole of the cabinet.” Big promotion for Dilyn if true…
Here’s Larry the Downing Street cat (@Number10cat) catching a pigeon in front of the waiting press this morning... pic.twitter.com/1aBwNedrtf
— Luke Powell (@LukePowell88) December 24, 2020
While the government’s Chief Mouser Larry may be notoriously lazy when it comes to catching rodents, he is clearly a dab hand when it comes to that traditional Tory pursuit of bird hunting. Given the lack of certain other news, hacks have immediately begun thinking up some Brexit metapaws for the scrap; going in for the kill only to fumble and let victory slip at the last minute? Hopefully Larry won’t go hungry this Christmas. A nice British fish supper is in order…