George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the British government, the person in whom we have entrusted the economy of Great Britain, is being irresponsibly with respect to looking after his family cat: Freya – a tubby tabby. Some people might say that he is being irresponsible with the lives of British citizens too.
I don’t want to receive a comment (fat chance) from him saying his wife looks after the cat. A cat is a family responsibility. His wife looks very fragrant but, clearly, fragrance does not translate to good cat caretaking.
George works from No 11 Downing Street and lives there, too, as far as I am aware. To visitors not living in the UK, Downing Street is a very central location in London, close to the Thames and near the Houses of Parliament.
Freya is fat. OK, that is not unusual but it does demonstrate a careless approach to cat caretaking.
Far worse is the fact that Freya is allowed to wander around central London. Allowing a cat to roam is fine if the place where you live is reasonably safe from a cat’s perspective but central London? No. There is nothing but masses of dense traffic and Freya seems to be amongst it from time to time or a lot.
Freya has been seen in a public house (“pub”) on the other side of Whitehall. Whitehall is a busy and wide road that connects to Downing Street. She’ll have to cross it to get to the pub and journey fraught with danger.
Freya has also been seen in Trafalgar Square! Now, that is extraordinary. Trafalgar Square is at the end of Whitehall. It is about 800 metres from Downing Street and the traffic is awesome all along the route and at Trafalgar Square, unless Freya finds some fancy way to get there that avoids traffic.
The conclusion must be that the Osborne family are allowing their cat to roam widely in a place that is totally unsuited to it. Some cats are great at avoiding cars and lorries. They even learn to look and check but they are not that expert at it and eventually an accident is liable to happen, especially in the places around Downing Street.
I bet the traffic in the middle of Mumbai is worse 😉
Hi Caroline. Tory = conservative = republican and “toff” = posh = upper class = rich that sort of thing.
Osborne is rich as well as being a politician as his family own the well know (in England) company “Osborne & Little” that make household furnishings.
No 11 Downing Street must have a garden at the back and they’ll have another home somewhere. It just seems they have a lot of options for looking after Freya that are better and safer.
I got her mixed up with the Clegg’s wife 😉 I don’t remember what Osborne’s wife looks like. Senior moment — again.
I have just seen a picture of George Osborne’s wife and she is quite fragrant but not as fragrant as Clegg’s wife. “Fragrant” was used by a judge to describe Mary Archer the wife of Jeffrey Archer the author. Mary Archer is very attractive and well turned out.
Having personally strolled around this exclusive and densely populated tourist locality of London i find it amazing for “Freya” to have survived her walks across the road.The traffic is constantly on the move unlike other more secluded localities of London.Stray cats are accustomed to crossing roads but not domesticated cats that are accustomed to the comforts of a house or garden.
Michael, when you say that she looks “fagrant,” did you mean flagrant? I think –I have not seen her picture–but I think that her hubbie sounds flagrant. Who knows why she married him. I don’t pay attention to such speculations, but! from my understanding of marriages in gov’t here, she: 1)loved him from before his position in gov’t, and she no longer has a say in “household” affairs, or, 2)she married him for prestige and fame. Who am I to say, esp. being from the states (not to mention naive).
Interesting, that being part of the govt., he is even allowed to have his? cat wandering around on the streets when declawing is banned… [and SHOULD be.]
You know, just a note, if feel uncomfortable commenting on this as I have let my cat get out of my sight while gardening (just about three wks after moving in to the new property); still, I don’t understand, why would a media-worthy mongrel let his cat wander around outside, let alone in a busy traffic-area? Is he really that insensitive to animals. Sounds very much like he is. His government role…wow. Such insensitivity. And especially to “his” cat? Disgraceful.
Please fill me in as to “Tory Toff” and “larry?” I don’t understand these terms, being from the States –btw, hopefully, with enough letters and petitions to our reps, we WILL get declawing declared illegal.