Barely two years in office as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has resigned amid party pressure and unpopular policies.

Mr Starmer, who led the Labour Party to an electoral victory in 2024, announced his resignation in a broadcast on Monday.

As Mr Starmer remains in office pending the emergence of a new PM, Andy Burnham is the frontrunner in the successor race.

Following Mr Starmer’s announcement, attention has shifted to Larry the Cat, resident in 10 Downing Street, who appears unruffled by leadership challenges, cabinet rebellions and opinion polls in the UK.

Larry, a 19-year-old tabby, is famous because he serves as the official chief mouser at the official office and residence of the British prime minister. He has also become a symbol of stability by outlasting six prime ministers. 

The beloved tabby was adopted originally from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to confront lice in the historic building. Larry has witnessed David Cameron (2010–2016) and other prime ministers such as Theresa May (2016 to 2019), Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Liz Truss (2022) and Rishi Sunak (2022–2024) leave the 10 Downing Street. 

With Mr Starmer announcing his resignation, Larry has outlasted six British prime ministers and still counting. 

Reacting to Mr Starmer’s resignation on X on Monday through its parody account, Larry expressed exasperation over the replacement of UK’s prime ministers.

“If rumours are to be believed I’ll be living with a seventh different Prime Minister shortly. If it carries on like this I’m going to stop making the effort to learn their names,” the tabby stated.

Shortly after his broadcast, Larry the cat  in the parody account said he accepted Mr Starmer’s resignation as his chief servant and “invited Andy Burnham to lay out details for how many meals a day he’ll give me.”

Because Larry is officially resident in 10 Downing Street and not the personal pet of any politician, his job continues on permanently regardless of who is elected as UK prime minister.

The beloved tabby currently awaits the next prime minister to move into 10 Downing Street.

Larry is famous for photobombing world leaders, greeting foreign dignitaries and lounging in front of the media. 

In 2019, he caused a brief motorcade delay during a visit by napping under a U.S. presidential limousine known as “The Beast.”

Beyond being a ‘politically neutral,’ Larry the cat  has come to represent a calming, lovable constant in a frequently turbulent, unstable political climate. 

While the tabby is officially tasked with catching mice, his highly publicised rivalries with other government cats, including Palmerston across the street, endeared him to the public.