235 lines
5.6 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
235 lines
5.6 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
news
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politics
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conservative
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8350377
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-----
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# Downing Street defends Larry the cat from anonymous briefing
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## No 10 spin doctors yesterday rushed to the defence of Larry the Downing
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Street cat after the new Government ratcatcher fell victim to an anonymous
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whispering campaign.
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![Larry the cat is ready to fulfil his brief - as soon as he is allowed
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out][1]
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Larry the cat is ready to fulfil his brief - as soon as he is allowed out
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Photo: Getty
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[![Rosa Prince][2]][3]
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By [Rosa Prince][4], Political Correspondent 6:00AM GMT 28 Feb 2011
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[Comments][5]
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The four-year-old tabby became the latest in a long line of political
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appointees to suffer the pain of anonymous briefings when insiders complained
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that he had failed to deliver on a pledge to tackle Whitehall's vermin
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problem.
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One source told a Sunday newspaper that Larry had done little but sleep since
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his arrival from Battersea Cats and Dogs home 10 days ago, stirring
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occasionally to scratch passing officials. Larry had even left hair on the
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Prime Minister's suits, the anonymous briefer complained.
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"He has shown no interest in the many mice in Downing Street," a source told
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the Independent on Sunday. "There is a distinct lack of killer instinct."
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A senior Downing Street spokesman leapt to defend the cat from the anonymous
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slurs, pointing out that it was far too soon to expect the rat catcher in
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chief to have fulfilled his brief.
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In fact, Larry has only just begun to explore his new home at No 10, and will
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not be allowed outside the building, where the rats were seen, to the alarm of
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television news crews, for more than a week in case he takes flight and runs
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away.
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## Related Articles
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* [Downing Street cat attacks TV reporter][6]
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16 Feb 2011
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* [Exile for No 10 cat][7]
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19 Feb 2011
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* [Larry the cat moves into Downing Street][8]
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16 Feb 2011
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* [Larry the cat is installed as Downing Street Chief Mouser][9]
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15 Feb 2011
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* [Downing Street to get new cat][10]
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25 Jan 2011
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Staff at Downing Street who have taken responsibility for Larry's care have
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been careful to abide by expert advice that rescue cats should be kept inside
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for at least their first few weeks in their new home.
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One aide said that Larry had been "expressing an interest" in moving beyond
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the small suite of rooms he has been confined to while he gets his bearings.
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He added: "Larry is a very popular member of staff. It's true that he slept
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for his first two days at Downing Street, but he had been through quite an
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ordeal moving into a new home.
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"Like all cats, he does still sleep a bit, but he is certainly a lot perkier
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than he was when he arrived.
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"He's keen to move out of the small area where he is kept and begin exploring,
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but he's not allowed to go outside yet."
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[X][11] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][12]
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* Share: [Share][11] [ ][13] [ ][14]
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[Tweet][15]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/8350377/Downing-Street-
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defends-Larry-the-cat-from-anonymous-briefing.html
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Telegraph
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## [Conservative][16]
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* ### [News »][17]
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* ### [Politics »][18]
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* ### [Rosa Prince »][19]
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In news
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[![True blue: if David Cameron fell under a bus, Liam Fox would be the Right's
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front-runner][20] ][21]
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### [Who are the standard-bearers of the Tory Right?][21]
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[![Prime Minister David Cameron (R) and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg hold
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their first joint press conference in the Downing Street garden][22]][23]
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### [In charge from day one][23]
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[![One year of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in
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pictures][24] ][25]
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### [One year of the coalition][25]
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[![General Election 2010 results][26]][27]
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### [UK Political Database][27]
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[![History of the House of Commons][28]][29]
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### [History of the Commons][29]
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[X][11] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][12]
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Share:
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* [ ][11]
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* [ ][13]
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* [ ][14]
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* [Tweet][15]
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* Advertisement
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![][30]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][31] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][32]
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Advertisement
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[UK Political Database »][27]
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Search Telegraph.co.uk's UK Political Database.
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