Boris Johnson wasted no time in putting his cabinet together but eager Downing Street staff may have to wait a little longer for the most exciting appointment – a dog.
The new prime minister on Thursday asked Number 10 staff whether they wanted a dog, to which the cry went up “yes”.
An insider cautioned that “no decision had been made” on a pooch, but officials are likely to hold Johnson’s feet to the fire to ensure he delivers this particular pledge.
There will be obstacles along the way, and Johnson is unlikely to get a new best friend until after delivering Brexit.
“It would have to get along with Larry”, the Downing Street cat and chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, the insider also insisted.
The cat was rescued from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2011 by then-PM David Cameron.
And he has been caught scrapping with Palmerston, the Foreign Office cat who lives next door.
Johnson may be eyeing a dog to keep the peace between the feline rivals, and the rival factions in his cabinet.