The Return of the Downing Street cat

No, Tony Blair hasn't returned with his "Cheshire cat grin". We often discuss very serious and/or 'heavy' topics here on PTS, so I thought this might lighten the mood a little.

The last occupant of 10 Downing Street became an embarrassing irritant after a decade and was finally put out to grass to spend his remaining years in obscurity.

Now there is a new, Scottish, face at the head of the Cabinet table who is loved by everyone and who has the run of the place.

It must be one of the most privileged, and soon-to-be best known cats in British public life.

Sybil - as in Basil and Sybil Fawlty - the black and white moggie is much loved in the home of the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling.

And that home is now the flat above the heart of Britain's government - 10 Downing Street - where the Darlings, including Sybil, have moved to from north of the border.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's official spokesman confirmed a new cat was in residence, adding: "The prime minister and Sarah do not have a problem with it. I am sure the cat will appear at some point."

Source:BBC News

For those of you who don't know, it has been a sort of long-standing tradition that Downing Street has its own cat paid for out of the Civil Service budget. Perhaps the most famous was Humphrey, a black and white stray cat who was eventually adopted by the civil service and Margaret Thatcher as the Downing Street cat in 1989. He 'retired' in 1997, and died last year.

Apparently the Blairs (particularly Cherie) weren't keen on cats so for the last decade there hasn't been one - but now traditions have resurfaced and Downing Street once again has its own Chief Mouser

Now this is sometime to get excited about and some real news. Will the fortunes of the British Government improve??