Downing Street

Downing Street, rather like Pennsylvania Avenue in the United States, is a phrase that is used for descriptive rather than literal purposes. Downing Street itself was once a residential street, though has risen to prominence as the official residence of the serving Prime Minister of Great Britain. The Prime Minister traditionally lives at number 10 Downing Street, and the black door and simple metal ‘10′ have long been images synonymous with British politics. Other worldwide examples include 24 Sussex Drive, the official residence of the Canadian President, and 7 Racecourse Road, designated for the Prime Minister of India.

The location of Downing Street is quite deliberate, though somewhat amusing given the state of modern politics. It is only a few minutes walk from the Houses of Parliament – the seat of British politics – and only a little further from Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British Monarch. The mild amusement comes from the fact that, for security reasons, the serving Prime Minister never actually takes advantage of these short walking routes and instead is forced to brave the London congestion in a motorcade.

While many associate Downing Street with the Prime Minister alone, it is also the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer These residences, more confusingly, are not actually designated for the Prime Minister and Chancellor, but rather the First and Second Lords of the Treasury. Though the First Lord of the Treasury is indeed the Prime Minister and the Second is the Chancellor, it is nevertheless an interesting – if tedious – snippet of trivia, in that there is actually no official residence for the office of Prime Minister.

Downing Street now has two famous, separate residence which are held officially for particular members of Parliament. In ascending numerical order, they are; 10 Downing Street, the residence of the Prime Minister, and 11 Downing Street, the residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer Other official buildings along the street include 9 Downing Street, the official home of the Chief Whip (a Government individual responsible for ensuring voting on political issues follows party lines) and 12 Downing Street, which currently houses the Prime Minister’s Press Office. Other buildings have largely been demolished and the road enclosed, to ease security fears.

The dwellings on Downing Street serve a dual purpose, both as official offices and family residences of their designated Government official. One does not, necessarily, follow the other. In 1997, newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair took up family residence in Number 11 – the official seat of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, then Gordon Brown, who moved into Number 10. The reason for this was startlingly simple, despite many political satirists joking it was a first clear sign of Brown’s intentions; Blair, as a married father of three at home children, was better suited to the larger living accommodation of Number 11, while unmarried Brown was happy to stay in the sparse and smaller accommodation of Number 10. However, the official working offices of Tony Blair remained at Number 10; proof, if ever needed, that Downing Street’s residents are as descriptive as functional – the mere name is, apparently, enough.