In the last few months, Westminster has been teeming with nothing but Boris Johnson and his nine lives. Now, however, he may have a rival in this particular area: Lindsay Hoyle’s new cat, Atley.
The cat will follow in the footsteps of other parliamentary magicians, including the Palmerston Foreign Office, Gladstone Treasury and Larry on Downing Street.
Although the president must renounce his political allegiance, Hoyle named the cat the Labor Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951, Clement Atley. Like many modern pet owners, he has created an Instagram account for his cat.
Hoyle posted the message next to a photo of him sitting in the chair of the president holding the four-month-old Maine Coon. Atlee replaces Patrick, another Maine Coon, who was named after Conservative peer Patrick McCormack.
Utley (pictured) replaces Patrick, who is Maine Coon. Photo: Parliament of the United Kingdom / Jessica Taylor / PA
Hoyle said: “We present to you Atli. A brave little kitten, which brought a lot of joy to my office and team. He brings a smile to the faces of everyone he touches in the parliamentary mansion. Of course, I will always miss Patrick, and I’m sure they would both get along very well.
He continued to Sky News: “Atley is just the bravest, craziest life force you can imagine: he runs around my office, to entertain my team, and makes a smile on the faces of porters, police, cleaners – and all who come in contact with him. “
Larry, the cat on Downing Street. Photo: Tolga Akmen / EPA
The Chorley MP is a well-known animal lover, naming some of them political figures. He has a parrot named Boris, a turtle named Maggie, and, like Atley, his dog Gordon is named after a former Labor prime minister.
Larry, perhaps Westminster’s most popular resident, first moved to David Cameron’s Downing Street in 2011 and was later seen entering a street fight with pigeons meters from the prime minister’s home.
Palmerston announced his “retirement” as Chief Foreign Office Mouser on Twitter in 2020.
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