Ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown provided some insights into residing in Quantity 10 and why it wants a facelift
Gordon Brown says Quantity 10 Downing Road won’t ever be totally refurbished as a result of no PM needs to vacate it for a very long time – for concern they are going to be out earlier than they get an opportunity to maneuver again in.
Former Labour chief Brown, 74, was Prime Minister himself from 2007 to 2010 following on from Tony Blair’s reign in cost. He informed how there aren’t any full time cooks within the kitchen at Downing Road and different elements of the constructing are additionally in want of enchancment.
Brown stated: “I imply, look, whenever you go into Downing Road, it will need to have occurred to Keir Starmer a number of months in the past. Somebody comes from the civil service and says, Downing Road is in want of restore, it must be refurbished, are you able to approve this plan?
“As a result of it wants all this redecoration, refurbishment. It is a very outdated constructing, as you recognize. And you then say, ‘nicely, how lengthy is it going to take?’.
“And the man stated, nicely, you may must be out of Downing Road for a minimum of 5 years. And no prime minister goes to conform to that, are they? As a result of you do not know in the event you’re even going to be prime minister.
“Liz Truss, she’d agreed to it. She was solely there for a number of days! However the concept that you are available in as a major minister, and the minute you are in, you are suggested by the civil service that you have to go away for 5 years, and you do not know in the event you’ll ever be again.
“And in my case, I would not have been again, and it’s a must to transfer to a different constructing. In order that’s why the refurbishment of Downing Road isn’t actually going to occur.”
Chatting with Ruthie Rogers on her Desk 4 podcast, Brown additionally mirrored on his childhood in Scotland, rising up in poverty and surviving on porridge and omelettes throughout wartime shortages. He additionally informed her about his first style of alcohol as an adolescent – which got here while he was in hospital.
Brown was injured after being kicked within the head in a rugby scrum in school. Because of this when he was at Edinburgh College he went blind in his left eye.
Talking about his time in hospital round this era, Brown stated: “At eight o’clock each night, a trolley got here spherical, they usually provided you drinks.Alcoholic drinks. I used to be 16, and you’d be provided Guinness, you would be provided wine, you would be provided lager, and you could possibly take what you wished.
“And this was my introduction into alcohol. I knew the well being service was free, however free beer. And, so the meals wasn’t so good, however the drink was fairly engaging. In order that’s my early years.”
* The total interview with Gordon Brown is on the newest Ruthie’s Desk 4 podcast out right now.
