Downing Street turmoil just another day for Larry

When I got to Downing Street at 7 am sharp on Monday, a brown-and-white domestic shorthair cat was standing quietly by the black door of No 10, observing a forest of cameras with indifference.

Photographers are defending their turf, reporters preparing their scripts.

Everybody is waiting for Keir Starmer to find out whether or not the British prime minister will resign. So, I think to myself, maybe the cat is as well.

He must be Larry! It's my first time seeing the famous Larry, who has served as the "Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office" since 2011 and witnessed the coming and going of the five previous prime ministers:David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak.

Now, Larry is waiting for Starmer to come out and make his farewell speech, after working in No 10 for one year and 11 months.

His resignation was foretold.

Media speculation over Labour's infighting started after the party suffered big defeats in local elections last month.

Despite Starmer's reiteration of his conviction to serve his country, and his assertion he will fight in any leadership contest, the rumors of his departure continued to ferment in the media until it was almost a guarantee. Even Donald Trump, the president of the United States, posted on social media that the United Kingdom prime minister was set to resign.

Hence, here I am, standing with more than 100 of my media colleagues and Larry, all waiting for Starmer.

At 9:20 am, the door of No 11 opens and workers carry out a sound panel, speakers and the podium. Then, everyone enters standby mode.

Ten minutes later, the Cabinet workforce comes out, and then the door of No 10 opens. Starmer approaches the podium.

I climb up the balustrade behind me, take a few shots and send my pictures to editors. Before I can squeeze to another spot, Starmer has finished his speech and told us there will be a new leader before September.

His speech was short, just like his term.

When Starmer arrived in Downing Street in July 2024, Labour had won by a landslide in the general election, heralding a major change after 14 years of Conservative rule.

And now, Starmer is leaving, after a landslide of defeats in local elections, with many of the changes he had promised remaining unfulfilled.

"To build a fairer country, with dignity and respect, where everyone is seen, everyone is valued. Wealth and opportunity for all, not just the privileged few," he says.

It's a big ambition, and, sadly, he had too little time to realize it.

The scramble that follows Starmer's announcement is even quicker. Reporters file stories, presenters go live with links to their studios, and photographers pack up their ladders.

Where is Larry? I can no longer find him. Perhaps, having watched five prime ministers come and go before, the veteran mouser knows the script too well. This morning's political upheaval was something that is all too familiar to him.