Speaker’s cat has been checking parliament for mice forward of coronation and located ‘none’, Sir Lindsay Hoyle says
Attlee the cat has swept the Houses of Parliament for mice forward of the coronation on Saturday.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle says his live-in moggy has “been going round” to examine for rodents and located “absolutely none”.
The declaration comes after Parliament spent greater than one million kilos on pest management previously decade.
Figures launched final Friday confirmed that £1.25m has been spent by authorities since 2012/13 – with 60% coming from the House of Commons funds, and 40% from the Lords as per an current settlement.
Parliament is supposedly mouse-free. Pic: iStock
Documents from Parliament say that the majority of unwelcome furry friends within the Palace of Westminster are home mice and customary rats.
So Attlee the Maine Coon may have his work reduce out if he’s now in control of clearing the pests from Westminster.
It is a a lot more durable process than the one undertaken by Larry, the chief mouser in Downing Street, which has a a lot smaller patch to cowl – however has confronted down creatures as large as a fox.
Sir Lindsay is a widely known animal lover, with a menagerie of politically-themed pets.
Attlee, named after the post-war prime minister Clement Attlee, joined Sir Lindsay within the summer of last year.
There can be Boris the parrot, who Sir Lindsay says he has been instructing the way to sing God Save The King – with the chicken apparently “listening very carefully”.
This all comes forward of a reception for the King and Queen Consort going down on Tuesday.
Sir Lindsay will host the royals alongside Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the chief of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer in Westminster Hall.
Being invited to the coronation correct on 6 May is a “wonderful privilege” in line with the Speaker.
He shall be attending in full regalia as he watches the crowning of King Charles III.
The Speaker additionally talked down any likelihood of the King interfering with politicians.
There are additionally rats in Westminster, in line with parliamentary info. Pic: iStock
“I have never known the monarch to object to what the House of Commons does. I never, ever see that happening. What I see is a grown-up recognition of democracy in this country, that we still have a monarch that plays his part,” Sir Lindsay mentioned.
“I’ve got to say, what a privilege that we’ve got the sadness of Her Majesty, but we’ve now got the sunrise of a new King coming.”