American Reacts to 10 Downing Street

[@chrisdavies9821]

Larry (the cat) is a civil servant. He is Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office (official title). He has served under several Prime Ministers and rumoured to be the velvet paw behind the throne. Boris Johnson was ousted just days after the price of Dreamies went up (coincidence?)

[@ianwalker5842]

🤣

[@mervinmannas7671]

I laughed out loud at this and was laughing so much i couldnt get the words out when trying to tell my mother.

[@chrisdavies9821]

@@mervinmannas7671 I'm glad it made you smile mate

[@angelaharris6577]

🐱😊

[@davidhines7592]

i dont believe in coincidences!

[@jackpearson5285]

Just for the record, the Chancellor at No. 11 is the Chancellor of the Exchequer not the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. It's basically the Secretary of the Treasury, who's seen as the second most powerful member of Government. Also, the door isn't mechanical, there's a doorman there at all times. Interestingly, the door doesn't even have a way to be opened from the outside, so there always has to be someone waiting inside the door to let you in.

[@alanaw27]

I have a photo of me as child in the mid 1950’s standing on the doorstep of No10. I look very small and nervous but I remember being thrilled to be there. Nowadays there are security gates at the end of the street with a guard house.so that photo, taken on a sightseeing walk about with my parents, couldn’t happen now.

[@clement2780]

is the foreign minister-secretary not the third most powerful member of government after the Queen-King, prime minister? or defence minister?

[@jeremysmith54565]

The chancellor is still officially called 2nd Lord of the Treasury (is engraved on the front door in the plaque), the PM's official title is 1st Lord of the Treasury which is on the plaque of no 10. Was Walpole who was the 1st to call themselves PM and prior to him calling them the PM was seen as an insult.

[@rjdjdjdj5623]

​@@clement2780They're probably not including the King, who is the head of state rather than the head of the government. The PM is the most powerful, then the three jobs below him are known as the Great Offices of State: Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance/treasury secretary), Home Secretary (like a secretary of the interior) and Foreign secretary (like the US secretary of state). The defense minister is pretty high up in cabinet usually, but falls below the Great Offices, and sometimes a Deputy PM (sometimes we have one, sometimes we don't, sometimes we call it Deputy PM, sometimes we call it First Secretary)

[@tomgidden]

(Absolutely yes, what​@@rjdjdjdj5623 said.) Just to fill in the blanks, there is no "Vice Prime Minister", ie. when the PM is incapacitated. They sometimes appoint a Deputy PM to mind the fort when they're on holiday, but it's not official so they have another lesser official title too. When it comes down to it, all these jobs are technically delegated by The King, so if there is an emergency and there's no PM (eg. an accident / attack), then it falls to The King, whose sole course of action is to take advice from the Privy Council (if it's not patently obvious) as to who to offer the Prime Minister job to... by convention the person most likely to be able to get a stable majority in the House of Commons, ie. the leader of the majority party. Technically that could be done in a single conference call, so the office wouldn't be vacant for very long. In practice, it's all planned long in advance, so the half-hour or so that we don't have a Prime Minister doesn't really matter... the presumptive new PM is already in a car on their way to meet the King anyway. While in the US presidents switch instantaneously, they're busy doing inauguration stuff anyway, so if there was an emergency, it'd still take a while to get anything actually done. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is of similar (but lesser) prominence to the PM. As the First and Second Lords of the Treasury, the PM and the Chancellor's "theoretical" roles are controlling the money, and that's what _everything_ comes down to, which is why they're the most important. But, the Chancellor really is the money guy (or gal, as we have now, for the first time) and decides the Budget, taxation, fiscal policy, and so on. Due to the way the system works, the Chancellor has FAR more power over the Budget than the Secretary of the Treasury in the US: she writes the budget (in collaboration with the PM), presents it in Parliament, and then debated for a while. Usually, everyone has a good bitch about it, but it doesn't change much. While technically it's not passed until a few months later with a Finance Bill, it's all backdated to the Budget day, and they pretty much know whether or not it'll work out. Thing is with the UK, the Government (and the Prime Minister in particular) formally has a lot of power... in US terms, they combine the roles of POTUS, the Speaker of the House and the Leader of the Senate. However, they're on a knife-edge at all times. If they lose the confidence of Parliament (ie. they'd lose a vote by the MPs) they're obliged to immediately call a General Election or resign. And, a Finance Bill not being passed (or the likelihood of such if the Budget is not received well) is an implicit vote of no confidence. That's what happened to Liz Truss (the PM for 50 days in 2022) and Kwasi Kwarteng (her short-serving Chancellor): they released a mini-budget (ie. not even an official Budget); it wrecked the economy in about a day; she fired him and a few days later the MPs beat her in an unrelated bill that everyone agreed was basically a vote of no confidence. She resigned, and Rishi Sunak stepped in. He lasted a year and a half, before calling an election and getting absolutely hammered earlier this month. The day after the election vote, he had to move out of Number 10, and the new guy moved in. It's absolutely that quick -- none of this "transition" period. I'd say my biggest disagreement with the US system is that POTUS has a lot of power, but very little to counter it. Usually the worst that happens is stalemate and he sits it out until the next scheduled election. Here, if a PM or Government isn't performing, they usually topple pretty quickly.

[@nicksykes4575]

The door isn't automatic, there's someone on the inside with a monitor. If you look at the tour footage, when they walk through and stop for the first time, you can see a young woman by the door with a monitor in front of her.

[@stevenmutumbu2860]

He is too funny but we love History!

[@jenniedarling3710]

I saw an interview with Tony Blair (on TV) when he said that the first time he whent to go through the door he wasn't sure what to do no door handle, he said should he knock? Apparently he was relieved when someone inside opened the door for him.

[@thefirstman2007]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is a door person that opens the door 😂

[@MCBaldyP]

Childish?! Calm down. Bit rude

[@noadlor]

​@marycarver1542 Apparently you don't know the meaning of "reaction video". Maybe you should research what that means before you make insulting comments.

[@martynnotman3467]

the whole of Downing Street is a massive warren of interconnected houses. its much much bigger than it looks. Number 11 is officially where the Chancellor lives (although actually at the moment the PM lives there) Also there are three giant country houses, Chequers for the Prime Minister, Dorneywood for the Home Secretary and Chevening for the Chancellor.

[@yvonneplant9434]

Like this guy says he is expecting all Americans to be as incurious as he has been. We are not all as this ignorant.

[@Pius-XI]

It's still a terrace house

[@martynnotman3467]

@@Pius-XI out front its a terraced house. The front facade is all thats left of original house. Behind its a huge warren of linked buildings

[@Pius-XI]

@@martynnotman3467 No. You have a red bricked building attached to the back containing the state rooms. Either way it's still small compared to the Elysee or White House.

[@martynnotman3467]

@@Pius-XI and several other buildings to either side and corridors to other buildings. 🙄 Besides both those two you mentioned are homes of heads of State. Our Head of State has Windsor Castle which is much, much larger than either.

[@elaineduncanson1474]

I am glad you had a brief glimpse of Larry. He is very special and has a formal title - google him for more. He was a stray and is now a working cat with the usual rights and privileges. Larry remains while PMs come and go. Neil Sean often does his reports in front of #10 so we see Larry often. He once had a set to with a neighbouring cat. Larry won.

[@rosaliegolding5549]

You get far more out of the English video’s as they know far more than the American narratives ( nothing against you Americans 🤗but I’d rather have one giving US History 🤷‍♀️

[@royw-g3120]

And chased off a fox too!

[@moaningminnie7863]

People are inside

[@fionabarr6064]

Years ago before the troubles in Northern Ireland you were able to walk right up to the door. My sister and I had our picture taken beside the Police Man guarding the door. Since then then there are large metal gates blocking off number 10

[@lilacfiddler1]

Terraced housing is very common in Britain. London is very crowded so to get the most profit out of the land the developer [ Downing in this case] built terraces of houses ( not apartments) for gentlemen to live in.

[@animalian01]

The PM does have a much more posh home as well, it's called Chequers

[@jacquiemoppett2391]

A lot of buildings in towns in the UK suffered from the constant bombing during World War11. The constant shaking night after night had an effect. After the war even in the 80s we would get cracks appear and some still do now.

[@billmayor8567]

Larry the cat is a street cat but was adopted by no 10 Downing street( can’t remember when) now he is the most adored resident of no 10 Downing Street although he now has a new rival. Another street cat who has decided to challenge Larry. Things are spicing up!😂😂😂

[@toddlerj102]

Maybe, but! Would Larry's official job title pass over if he lost in a dual? 🤔

[@angelaharris6577]

@@toddlerj102 No🤣

[@Bosspigeon230]

Larry adopted them to be fair.

[@hungbearlover]

Today, there is no definitive Downing Street door. In fact, there are actually two doors which are rotated every six months. The outgoing door is sent for a retouch and repaint before it is reinstalled at No. 10, which explains why it always looks so perfectly shiny. You can see the original door displayed at the Churchill War Rooms in Whitehall. Modern ones are metal. Wooden door was deemed insufficient after an IRA mortar attack in the early 1990’s.

[@B-A-L]

There's a permanent doorman who's job is to open the door, even for Larry the cat who has trained the Police Officer on duty outside to knock on the door for him! Number 10 is the PMs working address in London but he/she also has a country retreat called Chequers but don't forget the whole street is basically government property.

[@martinbell3302]

It's basically an office block with all that has, With a couple of flats/apartments on the top floor. Notice the front door has no key hole etc, it can only be opened from inside.

[@araptorofnote5938]

The technology that supports the door opening procedure at Downing Street ia very complicated. It helps if you have a basic understanding of how a door works. We have examples of doors still in use after almost a thousand years. All work on the same principal of hinges attached to one edge and a latch, or even a lock on the opposing edge. The example at No. 10 Downing Street is no different in it's basic construction and operation. This is where the concept of photography, moving picture imagery and the transmission of television must be understood. In layman's terms - a camera is placed outside the building and focused on the door. The image of anyone approaching the door will be transmitted inside the building, where there will be a man monitoring a television screen. This mans job is to release the latch, thereby allowing the door to open. I hope this helps, you're welcome.

[@nadeansimmons226]

🤣🤣🤣

[@dameinnoble3995]

Gold 🇳🇿🌿

[@dameinnoble3995]

Sadly I've yet to see him reply to information offered by his viewers. So I'm not entirely sure if he is seeking to learn and understand another culture for any more than curious comic relief. I don't mean to seem overly critical, it's just disappointing to read comments and partake in the comments section when our host doesn't seem to engage with even a personal like.

[@Otacatapetl]

@@dameinnoble3995 I've thought that too.

[@micheledix2616]

Love it🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mildlydispleased3221]

Ah yes, David Cameron, down to Earth. The man who while attending university he was a part of a prestigious group of rich boys who enjoyed pastimes such as burning money in front of homeless people.

[@tobytaylor2154]

Yep, Tony Blair is another, his arrest for indecent assault was well covered up, they are all little rich boys and girls. You get the odd working class (normally labour) but they soon lose their roots, 1 example dianne abacus sends her kids to top private schools.

[@KissMyFatAxe]

And molesting pigs

[@noadlor]

Is that true? Sounds like something Trump would do.

[@mildlydispleased3221]

@noadlor I'm surprised Trump even went to university. Cameron comes from old money, his family got rich off the transatlantic slave trade hundreds of years ago, he grew up in a palace and is probably the least down to Earth person imaginable.

[@reddwarfer999]

@@noadlor Sadly it is. Look up the Bullingdon Club.

[@robfindlay9886]

If you watch Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, British sitcoms but will give you a good insight to British politics.

[@frankparsons1629]

They didn't mention the no.10 pussycat (yes they did, just got to that bit - Larry), he's the real owner, and the police officer opens the door for him, just as he does to visiting dignitaries, when Mr. Cat requires to be admitted. Sometimes he sits outside the door watching the world go by and the smug expression on his face says 'Just look at me, I live here, this is ALL mine, purr purr!'

[@speleokeir]

Also the preferred choice as next prime Minister being the most intelligent and competent of the candidates. Larry for PM!😸

[@frankparsons1629]

@@speleokeir Yippee!!

[@frankparsons1629]

@Tt tat Whoops, sorry, used incorrect title!

[@catherinewilkins2760]

There are cats in Downing Street, as always had a rodent problem. Usually rehomed strays.

[@batman51]

The Prime Minister has a country residence "Chequers" 40 miles north west of London but in general the "bling" is kept for the Royal Family who carry out the formal and ceremonial duties, while the sleazy politicians are left to get on with the day to day running of the country.

[@jonathangoll2918]

One of the joys of having a monarchy is we put the politicians in their place. '10 Downing Street' is a deliberately ordinary-sounding address, for the Prime Minister to live and work in. Other commenters have rightly pointed out that you got the wrong Chancellor. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is an ancient position, used by the Government to be a sort of spare Cabinet Minister. The Chancellor of the Exchequer - at present Rishi Sunak - is one of the most important people in the country, and superintends the country's finances. (About 1100 the Treasury literally counted the King's money on a table like a giant chessboard, hence the name.) In the 1920s, a beautiful 16th-century house, in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, Chequers, was given to the nation to serve as a weekend residence for the Prime Minister. It is generally felt that Larry is the most sensible dweller in No.10. They have to have a cat because there's a mouse problem!

[@speleokeir]

Sunak isn't the Chancellor anymore. He resigned over Boris's cluster fucks. The current Chacellor is Nadhim Zahawi. Zahawi is a kurdish refugee and yet another public school boy. He was one of the founders of Yougov, the Tory survey company. As well as Yougov he made his money through fossil fuels and property and his finances have been investigated by the National Crime Agency - making him the perfect choice for a Tory chancellor!

[@jonathangoll2918]

@@speleokeir Sorry, I forgot that one. The recent change of personnel in the Conservative Government has been rather bewildering!

[@SweetHooligan1848]

I guess owning a large townhouse in the middle of Manhattan is "pretty normal"!!??

[@szabados1980]

4:14 The prime minister isn't grandiose. He is the practical part of the British constitution. Wanna see splendour and the dignified part? Go to Buckingham (Bucking-am for you Americans) Palace.

[@Jamieclark192]

Grandiose palaces are reserved for the Head of State which is the Queen. And in the US case, it’s the President. The President and the prime minister are not equivalent positions. The US President is Head of State and Head of Government. In the U.K. these roles are split. The Monarch is the head of state, the Prime Minister is the Head of Government. The prime minister exercises the powers of the head of state but he/she isn’t the official head of state, the monarch is.

[@xismecwilliams9604]

It also takes me about 20 seconds to commute from my bedroom to my office too. 😂 🇬🇧 my office is my home ever since beginning of covid..

[@honestyandtruth6847]

Perhaps you may wish to look at the 'Yeoman Warders' better known as 'Beefeaters' who guard the Tower of London and give guided tours; their sense of humour is legendary.

[@Chris_GY1]

It is where Prime Minister lives and works, the Prime Minister also resides at Chequers in the country. Number 11 Downing Street is the residence of The Chancellor of The Exchequer. Someone opens the door for The Prime Minister or anyone visiting.

[@carpentermja]

The PM also gets to live in Chequers, a large 16th century manor house.

[@martinjenkins6467]

That is like America's camp David But grander.

[@Pius-XI]

This isn't about country residences

[@NailHeavenAshford]

@@Pius-XI he did wonder if that was his only residence and whether he had somewhere grander. This commenter is exercising their freedom of speech and providing the answer to that question. Chequers.

[@Pius-XI]

@@NailHeavenAshford I know.

[@danjam888]

Ive really been enjoying these British videos, well done taking the time to learn some interesting foreign things. I'm Australian and curious if you would look at similar videos on the Land Down Under?

[@dicem8977]

That would be interesting, we share similarities in our constitutional structure but the creation of Canberra itself is interesting and the Aussie parliament building is amazing and I don't know much about The Lodge.

[@crackers562]

Yes, I agree that would be good for us Aussies.

[@user-Pontypool]

A bloke called Ryan Was has something similar but about Australia.

[@hungbearlover]

Look up Sir George Downing. He had the houses built for which the Street is named after. He was one of the first students at Harvard.

[@garethbrown9191]

Number 11 Downing Street is where the Chancellor of the Exchequer lives, Number 12 is where the Chief Whip is.

[@janined5784]

It probably wasn't an automatic door at all. No doubt a butler or an "on duty" British bobby, heard them approaching the door and opened it, in cool British style.

[@ianroper2812]

Actually Downing Street has an official receptionist who opens the door for you. It’s not a butler, or a policeman.

[@janined5784]

@@ianroper2812 oh ok, thanks for the clarification.

[@ambergris9287]

There is a clip where the police officer opened the door for Larry only for Larry to turn and walk away. He has an official job title - Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office - basically pest control.

[@matthewrigby7722]

The title of 'Prime Minister' comes from 'Primus inter pares' which translates to 'first amongst equals'. Its a recognition of the fact that the PM isn't a monarch, but is more the chair of a government. Downing Street is suitably lacking in grandiosity compared to eg. Buckingham Palace (where the residing monarch is considered to have more prestige than the government that rules in their name).

[@neilburgess9652]

Unless my history of this has been misremembered ... 'Prime Minister' was actually an insult used by the opposition originally meaning something akin to 'The Puppet of the King', hence 'First Lord of the Treasury' being a more accepted title at the time and being on the plate on the door to no_10. Also there are no keys to that door. There's someone employed to exclusively open it from the inside

[@paulcaswell2813]

Not quite so. Technically, the Prime Minister is an unpaid position (and still is). But the PM is also First Lord of the Treasury, which is a paid rôle, and it is as that that the PM is paid.

[@janemoney5144]

I have never been to number 10, but attended a reception at number 11 ( 50 years ago). It was large and quite grand inside.

[@clovermark39]

Love your reaction to all our British traditions and official houses. Good on the policeman for letting them know to open the door for Larry the cat.

[@pedanticlady9126]

Tyler, you need to understand that the Monarchy has been around in various forms for over a thousand years. During this time is has had its ups and downs and evolved in a variety of directions most of which have been recorded in history. Along the way it has acquired various traditions, properties, etc. and part of that evolution was the separation of power between the Head of State, and the Government. Since the 19th Century the prerogative powers of the Monarch have been devolved by convention to the Government. This was exacerbated by the accession to the throne of King George I when Queen Anne died in 1714. He was the King of Hanover, which is now part of Germany, he never lived permanently in any part of the British Isles, nor spoke English. Even his son King George II was born and grew up in Hanover. At that time there was no such title as Prime Minister. The head of the Government was the First Lord of the Treasury (aka at that time as Chancellor of the Exchequer, although that is now a separate office) now known as the Prime Minister. Robert Walpole is known as de facto First Prime Minister of Great Britain. On 3 April 1721 he was appointed First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. So, by comparison the role of Prime Minister is far more recent, was potentially available to anyone who had the right to vote. It was not a lifetime or heredity role. You seem to find it very difficult to separate the evolution of a separate Head of State (the Monarchy over many centuries) from the Head of Government (the Prime Minister since about 1721) Your head seems to be fixated on the US President being Head of State and Government. The USA only became independent in 1776.

[@XiOjala]

The USA DECLARED independence in 1776 but it took them until 1783 to win their war of independence. And it wasn't until 1787 that they had a constitution.

[@geoffpriestley7001]

The prime minister lives and works out of number 10.I've been to London once and we sat on the wall opposite number 10 its only a narrow road we got told to get down by the policeman on duty . I was only 30 at the time

[@MerciaAnglii-x6u]

The actual number 10 on the door isn’t a 1 & a zero. It is a 1 and the capital letter ‘O’. The top of the O is tilted to the left by 37 degrees. The story goes that the workman putting the number on the door didn’t have a zero, so he used a letter instead. And didn’t fix it to the door very straight. There are variations of the same story. Now every time the door is renovated a letter O is painted on with the same 37 degree orientation.

[@ianprince1698]

ten downing street has a nice garden at the rear with a back gate so the outgoing PM can load up whilst the new PM can unload in downig streeet to come in via the front door.i used to cut yhe grass in there many years ago

[@daveofyorkshire301]

There are two senior posts in the cabinet, the Chancellor of the Exchequer - responsible for finance and the Home Office - responsible for the Police and Law and Order...

[@dicem8977]

There's a third, the Foreign & Commonwealth secretary of state.

[@daveofyorkshire301]

@@dicem8977 Their not really at the same level in the hierarchy. When there's a leadership challenge it comes from the Chancellor or Home Secretary. The Foreign Office whilst powerful is not as publicly perceived as a primary post.

[@paulcaswell2813]

And it was the Home Office's cat with whom Larry had a televised set-to...

[@elizabethnuttall5374]

David Cameron went to one of the most expensive and privileged schools in UK. Resigned after lost a referendum to leave EU. Bye!

[@chrisanderson-ei1fc]

That's "Dodgy Dave" - just one of the prime ministers Tyler failed to recognise in another of his videos

[@lindylou7853]

10 Downing Street was a bit of a speculative build, built on a mud floor with poor foundations over a swamp, although designed by Sir Christopher Wren (architect of St Paul’s Cathedral). Lots of houses were thrown up for profit in those days. 10 Downing Street was three houses, stables and a cottage built next to an original building that was a mansion built in the 1500s as Whitehall Palace was then nearby. Hence the main road nearby is called, “Whitehall”. Sir George Downing, a spy for Cromwell and Charles II, built these three houses and the additional buildings. Spying must have been profitable as he built a few houses and left money to set up Downing College, Cambridge. King George II offered these three houses to Sir Robert Walpole, unofficially the first prime minister although he held the title of First Lord of the Treasury. He brought in William Kent to redesign the complex. All big names then. Only recently have prime ministers lived at number 10. Tony Blair’s wife has a baby whilst living at number 10, making 2 adults and 4 children in the family. As the flat at number 11 was bigger, they did a swap with Gordon Brown the then Chancellor who lived at number 11 and didn’t have children. Ever since the PMs have lived in number 11 and Chancellors at number 10.

[@willowtreefarm7735]

It’s the position right next to Whitehall that’s the important thing about no 10. His country house is Chequers which is used for weekends and official functions. No 10 is huge and if it were to be sold as a standard house it would be worth at least £10 million.

[@robertlisternicholls]

Number 10 is huge inside and has various underground tunnels leading to parliament.

[@AGMundy]

The major repairs to 10 Downing St reminded me of the White House reconstruction in the 1950's: the building was in danger of collapse, but Bess Truman wouldn't move out. She only did so when an engineer told her that the 2nd floor only remained standing through force of habit. From Tyler's comments about 10 Downing St, I rather suspect he is not aware that the White House was essentially all but rebuilt 70 years ago. FYI the first person to bear the official title of Prime Minister was Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1905-1908). He was also the only Prime Minister to have died at No.10. As for this video, without wishing to sound patronising (and I am married to an American) Tyler's limited knowledge is so typical of American parochialism but sadly also true of so many young people generally.

[@Wearywillie-x5t]

Number 11 is the Chancellor of the Exchequers house. The whole street is government buildings and is gated off. There is a two bedroom apartment for the PM in number 10 and a bigger apartment in number 11. Remember that until the late 19th century, most Prime Ministers would have had their own London house and probably a country house too..The In the 1960s the building was in such bad condition that there were proposals to demolish it.

[@lesleyhawes6895]

The Prime Minister, like your President, doesn't own Number 10, it's quite a big town house, with the P Ms flat on the topfloor. If he's in London he's supposed to be there. They generally have their own house or apartment elsewhere in London, and also a country house or two. There is also a useful country house for official entertaining, owned by the Government,

[@lesleyhawes6895]

at Chequers. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is in charge of the country's money, but number 11 goes to whoever has the position at the time, and they have to move out when the government changes.

[@Colin-kh8qj]

As always, I love your take on things. Keep doing it.😊😊

[@ngaourapahoe]

I was meaning to point out that they did not mention Larry and there he is at the end. He is very important.

[@skyebates246]

It's a completely gated community and they have police with Machine guns. On guard constantly.

[@XiOjala]

Didn't used to be. When I was young you could simply walk into Downing Street, stand in front of the door of No 10 and have your photo taken. Times change.

[@paulcaswell2813]

@@XiOjala The IRA atrocities ended all that...

[@billmayor8567]

The only permanent resident of no 10 Downing Street is Larry the cat 🐈. Yes the prime minister definitely lives there and the chancellor lives next door at no 11 Downing Street The chancellor is in charge of the treasury ( finances)

[@frazer3191]

The door isn’t automatic but it is blast proof and bullet proof and was replaced after the IRA mortared Downing Street in the 80s. The chancellor or the exchequer is the equivalent of the U.K. finance minister. The chancellor is considered the Queen’s second minister and so also lives in the chancellery at number 11. There is a tunnel linking Downing Street to the ministry of defence headquarters opposite on Whitehall and from there the prime minister has access to Pindar - the government emergency war operations centre deep in the bowels of the earth. The back garden of Downing street backs onto horse guards parade. A military parade square in central London made famous by the trooping of the colour every year. The passageway between Downing street and the cabinet office next door was the original passage used by Henry VIII to access his real tennis court and the original Tudor court walls are still visible from the original place of Whitehall. There is a tunnel used by Churchill from Downing Street to the basement of the treasury where the World War Two cabinet war rooms are located. And from there you can continue underground to the Houses of Parliament or Westminster tube station. Most prime ministers work in number ten but live and sleep above number 11 as that grace and favour flat is much larger and grander than the one offered to the prime minister in the attics of number 10. The prime minister of the U.K. is also given chequers an enormous country mansion / Manor House with pool tennis courts hundreds of acres to ride shoot fish walk all in privacy and has enough rooms for all the staff security cooks etc etc. Most PM leave Downing Street late Friday and return early Monday preferring the weekend at chequers.

[@MrPaulMorris]

Although the video didn't make it very clear, Downing Street is far more than it appears from the outside. Not only is it home to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer (who is basically the minister in charge of finance and regarded as the second ranked minister in the Cabinet) but is also the workplace of around 200 staff, among whom was numbered my brother-in-law. What we see from the outside is the frontage of the original dwellings erected by what we might now term a property speculator--George Downing built these properties 'on spec' rather than at the commission of some client. What lies behind is a maze of offices, most a lot less grand than the Cabinet Room, manned by civil servants and political advisors along with the usual support staff such as caterers, cleaners, security and, of course, the person who opens the door! Around 200 people work in Downing Street, among whom was numbered my brother-in-law. At the top of the building are the private flats of the Prime Minister and Chancellor. As was said in the video, traditionally, the Prime Minister occupies the flat above No 10 but in recent decades they have actually used the No 11 flat as it is somewhat larger and some recent incumbents have had young families--something that was not anticipated in the days when few reached the post before their 60s! The Prime Minister has one other official residence, the country house, Chequers, which was given to the nation by its owner in the early twentieth century. The house itself dates from the 16th Century so is considerably older than Downing Street.

[@paulcaswell2813]

What wasn't mentioned was the two No10s - 'The House at the Front' - the one every knows which fronts Downing Street; however, there is a much grander 'House at the Back', which is the main house, which includes most of the staterooms used for entertaining other countries' heads of state, etc.

[@peterjf7723]

Ten Downing Street is the London residence of the P.M. they also have an official country residence: Chequers or Chequers Court, is the country house of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. A 16th-century manor house in origin, it is located near the village of Ellesborough, halfway between Princes Risborough and Wendover in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills. It is about 40 miles (64 km) north-west of central London. Chequers has been the country home of the serving Prime Minister since 1921 after the estate was given to the nation by Sir Arthur Lee by a Deed of Settlement, given full effect in the Chequers Estate Act 1917. The house is listed Grade I on the National Heritage List for England.

[@MichaelJohnson-vi6eh]

When PM Margaret Thatcher and her husband Denis were invited to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to spend time with the royal family, they were (as most post war prime ministers) completely confused. The thatchers were middle class people socializing with upper class people - I am sure this happens with many prime ministers. They may live in Downing Street but the actual living quarters are probably much like living in a big middle class house attached to an office building.

[@fahimfaisalmahir567]

Balmoral is also very middle class except for the antiques.

[@paulcaswell2813]

The finest story of all has to be that of Benjamin Disraeli, who went from upper-middle class, through to Prime Minister, and thence to become personal friends with Queen Victoria. He (a commoner) was PM over a Cabinet of some of the greatest families in British History. Given 19th century class distinction, a remarkable achievement.

[@oldman1734]

Actually it’s one of the advantages of a monarchy. If we want to be patriotic we can praise the monarch as much as we want because he/she has no power so there’s no conflict. Politicians on the other hand, can be abused as much as we want. We are not being unpatriotic, they are “just” politicians!! There to be battered and bashed as much as we want. And they don’t live in palaces, or White Houses.

[@karlbassett8485]

Yep, it is interesting that of the countries often ranked best for things like freedom, democracy, happiness etc a lot are constitutional monarchies. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand as well as the UK are all constitutional monarchies. Maybe having a head of state totally outside politics makes it easier to hold political leaders to account? Maybe it stops them getting to big headed and carried away with power?

[@Jee123123]

you cannot open the door to number 10 from the outside it can only be opened from the inside

[@garymcatear822]

So how did the very first person to enter 10 Downing street manage to get inside?

[@Jee123123]

probably when they were installing the door, also apparently there is a connecting door to number 11 but not 100% sure on that

[@edmundprice5276]

Number 10 is big enough for a family with 5 children (if the children share rooms) and has offices and dining rooms and sitting rooms to court politicians and diplomats. And it's slap in the middle of London, a short walk from parliament.

[@1chish]

'The Chancellor' mentioned is not Kit Malthouse as he holds a different post it is 'The Chancellor of the Exchequer' which is like the U S 'Secretary of the Treasury'.

[@MarkmanOTW]

To understand how the UK maintains a stable government administration, we have a Civil Service which is apolitical and non-partisan, and non-politically appointed - which is very different from the USA. The CIvil Service (comprised of public servants at every level covering every aspect of government and society) translates the elected Government aspirations into policies and actions, and manages their delivery. This provides consistency and a 'stabilising influence' that guides, enables and challenges the elected individuals in their roles as ministers leading their departments., using their insight, expertise and experience. This is another useful counter-balance in our system as it doesn't change when a government changes after an election, the same people remaining to carry-on the job whichver political party is in power, which totally differs from the USA. Suggest you watch 'POLITICS - The Civil Service - David Walker'

[@Wearywillie-x5t]

Try " Yes Prime Minister ". Its a 1980s situation comedy set in Downing Street. There is a lot of truth in it. Margaret Thatcher's favourite.

[@MarkmanOTW]

@@Wearywillie-x5t Indeed! Once there's an understanding of the role of the elected politician taking on a government minister's job, and the role of the civil service + the dynamic ('tensions') between the two - then there's a greater chance our American friends will appreciate the humour and not pause the video every other second with confusion and multiple questions, misunderstanding roles, power play etc.

[@mattfisher7432]

You could try just watching for a few seconds at a time. Then most of your questions would be answered before your eyes.

[@partypete007]

About 200 people work there… There is a full office part which you haven’t seen. I visited a couple of times myself. It’s linked to the Cabinet office as well. That’s the office which is the coordinating part of the government.

[@iainsan]

If you've ever seen interior shots of the White House, US Presidents also live in a 'museum'. It's full of furniture and paintings which date back to the 19th century and even earlier. The First Lady is traditionally in charge of the decor, but she can only change things after a lot of consultation with officials. Jackie Kennedy very famously made a lot of changes in the early 1960s, involving various artists and designers, which are now museum pieces in themselves.

[@JACB006]

Never have I seen and individual who miss understands just about everything….. here he is!

[@neuralwarp]

You have to remember, our politicians went to private schools that charge prices like Harvard, but give the kids bad food and cramped accommodation with no heating. They're used to modest living.

[@G1NZOU]

The Prime Minister also has a country home in my county of Buckinghamshire called Chequers, a country manor that was gifted to the nation after WWI and has been used by the Prime Minister since 1921, previously it was always assumed Prime Ministers and high up government officials were part of the landed gentry but around the time of the First World War society was changing and it was more likely that a commoner could rise to the rank of Prime Minister. Being a country manor it's much larger and it's better for hosting world leaders during visits.

[@maureen348]

Our Queen is our Head of State, the Prime Minister is the head of government and we keep our government in its place in case it gets to big for its boots. No Palace for them.

[@michaelsims1160]

10 Downing is much bigger and grander than it looks. In typical British style inside it is huge and palatial. The PM also has Chequers.

[@travisgrant5608]

The 2 most famous addresses in the world are: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC (residency of the President of the United States of America) #10 Downing Street, London, England (residency of the Prime Minister of England)

[@jillybrooke29]

He has a giant place in the country called Chequers, also Rishi has his house with a swimming pool in Yorkshire. It is handy there for Parliament in London though There's an automatic man behind the door lol, the technology is a camera and a door knocker.. Larry has seen many Prime Ministers come and go

[@helenevoyer5317]

24 Sussex Street is the Prime Minister of Canada residence. It's in renovations so he and his family are living in a cottage house near Rideau Hall (the Governor General residence). He has offices near Parliament Hill. The Opposition leader has also a residence. His office is near Parliament.

[@jonntischnabel]

A HUGE 5 floor, quadruple fronted townhouse in Westminster isn't where "the average UK person" lives. 😂😂 My god the USA and the UK are different.

[@iriscollins7583]

Gates first appeared in,1920, but we're taken down in 1922, it was completely gated permanently during the residency of M. Thatcher in1989.

[@sarcasticstartrek7719]

an avreage and normal person would not live in a house anything like downing street - properties that size in london are worth millions and millions.

[@Jbatley1]

the priminister is afforded a certain amount of luxary but because they’re not head of state like a presedent is, they just get a fairly decent house. The queen is still technically the priministers boss so she gets much more luxury

[@shirleyanneyoung955]

?

[@garywheble4534]

The door of ten drowning Street. It's a powerd door operated by the security team inside the reason it's a power operated door is its a heay armored door it's hard to open manually on purpose to delay Intruders once the get past the police detail at the gates at both ends of the street there is also no slot behind the letterbox so you can not drop mail through no gas or grenades there is also no door handle why have one if its a power door .the repairs needed were from subsidence due to the Marsh land it was built on aggregated by the bombing in the second World War in modern time it was attacked by the IRA using mortars. A big point to the location is it is only about ten to twenty min walk to the Palace of Westminster

[@TheKira699]

Other residents of 10 Downing Street are the Spouse of the Prime Minister and family, Downing Street Director of Communications and Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. 11 Downing Street has been the official residence of the Second Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer since 1828.

[@5imp1]

The door opens because there is a man standing behind it. No technology involved with the door opening. Also, it cannot be opened from the outside. 10 Downing St always has somebody inside. The road is closed off to the public but when I was a child it wasn't. You could just wander down the street. My parents have a photo of me standing on the doorstep, next to the police man. I was around 5 years old and I think I had a broken arm.

[@debbielough7754]

The PM does also get Chequers - a 16th century country house. Downing St has the advantage of being just round the corner from Parliament.

[@pmc8451]

Downing Street is a very practical place to live for the Prime Minister. It is 5 minutes walk to the Houses of Parliament, and in the UK Government ministers have to frequently attend Parliament, and it’s just off Whitehall where most of the other Government departments are. Every Government department, Parliament and every MPs office is less than 10 minutes walk from Downing Street.

[@paulcaswell2813]

Not to mention Westminster Abbey for the big state religious occasions.

[@Pluggit1953]

You jump to too many conclusions before you’ve given the video chance to play.

[@janined5784]

Every Prime Minister has their own home, the same as U.S presidents. Winston Churchill's Estate was "Chartwell" and is part of the National Trust. It's quite a place. He and his wife Clementine (Clemmie) loved it there. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gH6tp5mMpJ2oiLc Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was part of the Spencer family from way back and was a distant cousin of Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales. Their common ancestors include Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer (1675-1722) and his wife Anne Churchill: Diana's 7x great-grandparents, and Winston's 5x great-grandparents. Just a bit of extra info for you. It's all fascinating.

[@tobytaylor2154]

True until recently, chartwell is no longer national trust due to woke lefties.

[@elizabethnuttall5374]

There is no way an average person would be able to live in that area or that sort of property. Worth millions and millions of dollars. Central London.

[@topguydave]

The door is not automatic, there is a doorman that opens it and checks the validity of those entering. No. 10 is the Monday to Friday living and working address, but the the PM and family have a weekend country residence called Chequers and is more palatial with landscaped gardens, which is what you were expecting at the beginning of your video.

[@Westcountrynordic]

If you actually watched and listened to the video you would get all the answers to the questions you pose before watching the video

[@devonprince]

If you have watched his previous items you will realise that his ability to take in the information first before commenting is non existent.

[@davidgrainger5378]

Chancellor of the Exchequer (not the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who is a completely different official) is the Finance Minister (Secretary of the Treasury equivalent in the US).

[@jeremysmith54565]

At the monarchs succession ceremony which was done at St James's Palace (is always done there, though Victoria moved the Monarchs HQ to Buckingham House as it was called prior and after palace its still officially at St James's so all official things for it must be done there like the succession or accession ceremonies and etc). In the succession ceremony essentially Charles III was asked if he'd he'd continue (as all Monarchs have since George III) surrendering the Monarchs income and revenues which comprises of the Duchy of Lancaster (which was taken by the Monarch since the conclusion of the Wars of the Roses I think, so they're really the Duke or Duchess of Lancaster, but rather as the Monarch supersedes that they don't get called that it just stands as that) and the Crown Estate to the Treasury (well its rather really the Chancellor of the Exchequer who gives them is between 10-20% of the profits of those in the form of what used to be called the Civil List until was think 2011 when it was replaced by the Sovereigns Grant for them to perform their duties as head of state. Their personal incomes essentially well its really the Crown Estate rather thats part of it the biggest property management company in the country.

[@seijika46]

Part of the unspoken reason for the comparatively humble home compared to royal palaces is the same reason the PM is supposed to report to both the monarch and parliament every week - keep them grounded. Its like how Roman leaders would have someone to remind them "remember you are mortal" - try and deter megalomania and dictatorial tendancies setting in.

[@skipper409]

The Prime Minister also gets a stately home in the countryside called “Chequers”

[@richardjames7905]

It’s in Whitehall. There are loads of legislative buildings in this road.Downing Street is barred off and guarded. The Chancellor of the Exchequer lives next door at number 11. At the top end of Whitehall is Trafalgar Square. The Prime Minister’s country residence is Chequers in Buckinghamshire.

[@blepala]

Well downing street is quite grandiose inside. The house is quite large and has even underground rooms. The location and house is quite good for London. This is close to parliment and Buckingham palace. The prime minister also have a different place of residence called chequers

[@SirBradiator]

The top floor is the residential apartment where the Prime Minister lives, sometimes in the past when a PM has young Children they have swapped with the Chancellor and lived in the flat above Number 11 because its bigger.

[@corringhamdepot4434]

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the top money man in the Government. Most MPs have a second London residence to be near Parliament when it is in session, because they mostly have to vote in person.

[@tonybennett7904]

Look up geo Downing he was educated at Harvard which was founded by another English man.Downing had emigrated to America with his family but after returned to make his fortune, there is a vid on it somwhere

[@pedanticlady9126]

The Chancellor, who's main London Residence is Number 11 Downing Street, is the second highest ranking member of the Government. He/she (although we have never yet had a female Chancellor) is the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Exchequer is effectively the Finance Department. He is the money man. Nothing to do with the Duchy of Lancaster. Just as an aside, and to hopefully confuse you some more. The word Duchy refers to a Dukedom. A Duke is the highest form of Nobility/Aristocracy after Royalty. A Duke is the male form. A Duchess is the female form. A member of the Royal Family can also be given or inherit Dukedoms and other titles. Check out Prince Charles' full name and titles in addition to being Prince of Wales. To continue... the title of Duke of Lancaster is held by the reigning Monarch. In the current instance this happens to be Queen Elizabeth II. Despite the fact she is a woman she holds the male title. The person delegated to manage the Duchy on her behalf is the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. A royal appointment, not governmental. By the way, the first Duke of Lancaster was John of Gaunt, the 3rd son of Edward III. It was the aggro between his descendents and those of the 2nd son, the Yorkists, which led to the Wars of the Roses. Henry, the son of the Lancastrian heir Margret Beaufort, (who married a chap called Owen Tudor) won the final battle of the war to become King Henry VII. He proceeded to marry Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of the Yorkist King Edward IV, thus re-joining the Houses of York and Lancaster in their offspring. Also Henry took the opportunity of re-acquiring the Dukedom of Lancaster for himself and all future monarchs.

[@alanmon2690]

And Owen Tudor was Welsh. So we've had a Welsh Monarch (Henry VII) from a son of Owen and Margret),

[@paulcaswell2813]

We now have a female Chancellor. And a right bl**dy hash she's making of it too.

[@alisonwilliams-bailey3561]

Back in the day I was able to walk down Downing St. As a kid defo. Now they have huge gate with guards etc.

[@alisonjane1976]

I don't think the door is automatic. There is a video with Theresa May did show people around the flat (official residence) at the top of number 10 at one point.

[@brandunited5744]

oops, there is also another residence he holds whilst in office called Chequers. this is a large stately house. Used for entertaining of foreign dignities, this house is about 40 mins drive from London and its is in Buckinghamshire.

[@MrDaiseymay]

Number ten is the Residence AND office of the Prime minister. This is where he, and his chosen Cabinet, discuss political problems and othe issues. Built in the 17th century, it was gifted by the owner, George ? Downing, which the street was named after. With a Long History, it's best to Google it yourself.

[@Elistone]

10 downing street would be called a Terrace house, where there is another house on both sides, semi -detached is another house on one side, detached is no other buildings touching and bungalow is a one level house. Also the door is a normal door, there's someone on the other side who opens it. lol.