"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"
"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"
The Independent promotes on-the-ground reporting across major issues and relies on reader donations to fund journalists while keeping content free of paywalls. Number 10 Downing Street operates as a cramped, ageing Georgian townhouse where the prime minister lives, works and hosts official meetings rather than a grand executive palace. Former staffers describe creaky, idiosyncratic rooms, mice in the basement, doors that lead nowhere and a warren of poky rooms that reflect institutional shortcomings. After three centuries of near-continual use the building exhibits decay, makeshift repairs, frayed curtains, limited shower facilities and occasionally malodorous toilets.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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