‘Sybil’ replaces ‘Humphrey’ at No 10.

Well this is about as political as we’re going to get round here…so here goes…

Humphrey the Downing Street cat was retired in 1997, after years of living in the Cabinet Office and Downing Street areas. His departure came shortly after Tony Blair’s arrival as prime minister. A bird table was then put into No 10’s garden.

Sybil
Photograph: Alisdair Macdonald/Rex

Now, slinking down the corridors of power comes ‘Sybil’. Named after Basil Fawlty’s wife in the classic 1970s sitcom, Sybil lives in the flat above No 10 with the chancellor during the week. Gordon Brown and his wife occupy the bigger flat at Number 11, which is the traditional home of the chancellor.

Sybil, officially know as Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

‘Sybil’ is famed for her nocturnal ramblings and can make the dourest of Labour politicians go weak at the knees. The new occupant at No 10 belongs to Alastair Darling.

Sybil, on her way to a summit meeting

Here’s an update on the history of the Offical Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

Name Began tenure Ended tenure Prime Minister(s)
Treasury Bill 1924 1924 Ramsay MacDonald
Peter 1929 1946 Stanley Baldwin, Ramsay MacDonald, Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee
Munich Mouser 1940 1943 Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill
Nelson 1940 1940 Winston Churchill
Peter 1941 1946 Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee
Peter II 1946 1946 Clement Attlee
Peter III 1946 1964 Clement Attlee, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home
Peta 1964 1976 Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath
Wilberforce 1973 1988 Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher
Humphrey 1989 1997 Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair
Sybil 2007 2009 Gordon Brown
Freya 2012 2014 David Cameron
Larry 2011 current David Cameron, Theresa May