Britain’s ultra-rich new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his family plan to live in the flat above 10 Downing Street despite owning a number of luxury properties, including one in London.
Sunak’s property portfolio reportedly includes a penthouse in California, an apartment in exclusive London’s Kensington area and a mansion in his Yorkshire constituency in northern England.
But the Prime Minister’s secretary has confirmed he will be moving to Downing Street.
“They will be moving into apartment #10,” the spokeswoman said, adding that she didn’t know if they had any plans for a renovation.
Johnson got into trouble over an expensive renovation of his prime minister’s apartment.
The ousted Prime Minister’s extensive refurbishment of his flat next door at 11 Downing Street was overseen by his wife Carrie. Controversy over the way it was funded provided ample ammunition for Johnson’s critics.
The details of expensive rolls of wallpaper, hyper-fashionable home furnishings, and deep-pocketed dispensers became the stuff of endless newspaper articles that ultimately undermined his authority.
Although the 10 Downing Street flat is in a prime location, it is relatively small.
Sunak’s move there marks a return to the flat that is the British Prime Minister’s London home.
– Sunak’s Labrador is coming too –
Traditionally, British leaders lived in the flat above 10 Downing Street. The main building over which it sits is the official residence and office of the country’s Prime Ministers.
Chancellors usually lived in the larger apartment above No. 11.
However, when Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were prime minister and chancellor, they swapped homes to accommodate Blair’s growing family.
In fact, Sunak only recently moved out of apartment #10 as he lived there during his time as Johnson’s Treasury Secretary until he resigned in July.
When asked why he chose to live in No. 10 rather than the larger No. 11 apartment, the spokeswoman said: “They were very happy there.”
However, the Sunaks, who have two daughters and a Labrador dog, are unlikely to have to rely on wealthy financiers to renovate an apartment.
Before marrying the daughter of an Indian billionaire in 2009, Sunak worked at investment firm Goldman Sachs and two hedge funds.
His wife Akshata Murty owns a sizable stake in her father’s software company Infosys.
Together, the couple are on the Sunday Times rich list with a net worth of £730million.
British Prime Ministers also have use of a country estate, Checkers.
