Rishi Sunak and his family plan to move into the flat above No 10, Downing Street has said, putting to bed rumours that they might shun the residence in favour of their Kensington home. The Prime Minister will be preparing to return to the apartment six months after moving out.
He lived in the No 10 flat when he was chancellor in Boris Johnson’s Government while the then-prime minister inhabited the larger No 11 flat usually used by the top Treasury minister. The Prime Minister’s press secretary told reporters on Wednesday: “They will be moving into the No 10 flat, where they used to live."
Asked why No 10 and not the bigger No 11 abode, she said: “They were very happy there.” Asked will they redecorate, Mr Sunak’s press secretary said: “Not that I’m aware of.”
In April, before Mr Sunak dramatically resigned as chancellor – precipitating Mr Johnson’s downfall – his wife and two daughters decamped to their west London mews house to be closer to the children’s school. Coming around the same time that news emerged that Mr Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty had claimed “non-dom” tax status, reportedly saving her millions, there was speculation the move was linked to a wish to avoid media attention, although Mr Sunak denied that at the time.
Mr Sunak split his time between the official residence and family home in his final few months as chancellor. Now, they are all set to return to the grace-and-favour flat above the shop, without the novelty factor that usually accompanies the move for a new prime minister’s family.
Mr Johnson’s lavish refurbishment of the No 11 flat reportedly cost more than £200,000 – far exceeding the £30,000 annual public grant afforded to the prime minister to spend on living quarters. Mr Sunak, arguably the richest ever prime minister with a fortune far larger than the King’s, will be able to choose from an array of properties to spend weekends with his family.
They include the PM’s countryside retreat Chequers, the Downing Street flat, the family’s Kensington house and their constituency home in North Yorkshire.
