Creaky, idiosyncratic, mice in the basement and with “doors that lead nowhere” – Number 10 Downing Street may be one of the most famous addresses in the world, but for many of its staff, conditions in the warren of poky rooms behind the famous door represent the perfect metaphor for the running of the state.
While other countries’ executive branches of government are usually run from considerably grander buildings – for example the US’s White House, Germany’s enormous Federal Chancellery or Italy’s Palazzo Chigi – in Britain, the prime minister is expected to live, work and host official state meetings in a rather tired Georgian townhouse.
After 300 years of near-continual use by prime ministers, their staff, and an army of civil servants, it is perhaps unsurprising that the “crumbly” building is reportedly held together with gaffa-tape, has fraying curtains, a lack of showers and has toilets which occasionally emit “a stench”.
This is according to a report by Politico, which interviewed former staffers at number 10, and sets out a damning rundown of how the building’s age and (lack of) design at 10 Downing Street impacts staff. It raises concerns about efficiency, but also alludes to how the layout and the constrictions inherent in working in the building could even influence policymaking and inter-governmental communication.
One particular issue singled out was the building’s poor mobile phone reception, which combined with the noise of soldiers on Horse Guards Parade, has meant people sometimes have to hang out of windows, or move rooms to find a place quiet enough, and with sufficient signal to hold a conversation.
“The phone signal is just atrocious in there,” a former aide of Liz Truss told the publication. “It’s an absolute f***ing nightmare.”
Earlier this year, a report that 4G technology was being installed on the Moon sparked fury as many pointed out that swathes of the capital lack decent mobile phone signal. Clearly this includes Downing Street.
A 2023 report from Ofcom meanwhile found that seven per cent of the country does not have any 4G coverage, while a separate study conducted by the research firm Opensignal found that UK mobile users had the worst average 5G download speeds of all G7 countries.
Small rooms, battles over desk space, and fiercely-defended proximity to the prime minister are all apparently concerns for workers jostling within the tight confines of the house.
A former aide to Boris Johnson said the layout was “massively unhelpful” for running the country and “not fit for purpose.”
They said: “If I needed the policy unit, I wouldn’t be able to find them. I would ask them to come down and meet me in the lobby … which is pathetic, but that is an illustration of how messed up it is there.”
“Keir hates it,” one former aide reportedly said. Has this begun to show? Across Whitehall, there are growing concerns that Downing Street under Starmer’s watch has become siloed, “toxic”, in Wes Streeting’s words, and increasingly adrift.
Many insiders insist the fate of his premiership hinges less on policy than on the chemistry he cultivates with those around him. In barely sixteen months, he has cycled through a carousel of senior aides, leaving critics to question whether the revolving door masks a deeper vacuum of authority.
While both Sir Keir’s political problems and 10 Downing Street’s physical constraint issues both clearly persist, it is not clear that solving one will solve the other.
The Independent has contacted Downing Street for comment.
