英首相官邸の主は吾輩ニャン、「ラリー政権」１０年

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英首相官邸に住む猫のラリーは、英政界の中心的存在として10年間にわたってロンドンのダウニング街10番地に君臨し、今や昼寝をするその姿は生ける伝説となっている。（写真は英ロンドンのダウニング街10番地、首相官邸前に寝そべる猫のラリー）
　これまで３人の英首相に仕えてきたキジトラのラリーは２０１１年２月１５日、４歳のときにロンドンの動物保護施設「バタシー・ドッグズ＆キャッツ・ホーム」からダウニング街１０番地にやって来た。英首相官邸公式サイトの経歴によると、ネズミ取りのうまさで選ばれた。
　ラリーは英首相官邸初の「ネズミ捕り長官」の称号も持っている。だが、ラリーの就任後、初代の首相だったデービッド・キャメロン氏によると、ラリーは最初の数か月間で３匹のネズミを捕まえて以降はやる気をなくし、手を出さなくなったという。
　しかし、ラリーはその後も権力にしがみつき、ソフトパワー外交を繰り広げてきた。
　英国の欧州連合（ＥＵ）離脱（ブレグジット）をめぐる国民投票で「離脱」が支持され、キャメロン氏が官邸を去ったときも、ラリーはかたくなにそこから動こうとしなかった。
　キャメロン氏は議員との最後の質疑でラリーとの不仲説の釈明に追われ、ラリーと一緒に写った写真を高々と掲げてラリーを愛していないといううわさを否定した。
　以来、ラリーは首相官邸のスタッフの猫とみなされ、テリーザ・メイ前首相を経て現在はボリス・ジョンソン首相と同居している。

■「仕切っているのは吾輩」
　ラリーはツイッターに非公式アカウント「＠Ｎｕｍｂｅｒ１０ｃａｔ」も持っており、４３万３０００人のフォロワーがいる。ソーシャルメディア経由でアカウントに問い合わせたところ、人間は関与していないという答えと一緒に、長年にわたる英首相官邸での生活を振り返る言葉が返ってきた。
　「ラリー」は、「覚えておくべき重要なことは、ここに永住しているのは吾輩（わがはい）で、首相たちは解任されるまでのわずかな間、吾輩と同居するにすぎニャい点だ」と述べた。「彼らはみな遅かれ早かれ、この場所を仕切っているのが吾輩だと気付く」 【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/02/15-11:47）

A stalwart of the British political scene, Larry the Cat has ruled the roost in Downing Street for a decade, serving three prime ministers and becoming a legend in his own naptime.
The tabby-and-white cat arrived at 10 Downing Street on February 15, 2011, at the age of four.
He was adopted from London's Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, an animal shelter, and was chosen for his mousing skills, according to his biography on the Downing Street website.
He received the title of Chief Mouser -- the first inhabitant of the prime minister's famous residence and office to do so.
But while he did catch three mice in his early months, according to David Cameron, his first prime minister, he has since disappointed, leaving the role in the tactical planning stage.
Nevertheless this nonchalant operator has clung onto power.
While lacking the killer instinct, Larry has made fur fly in very undiplomatic spats with feline rivals including Palmerston, the black-and-white resident of the nearby foreign ministry.
Palmerston has since turned tail, quit politics and retired to the countryside in 2020.
Larry's soft-power diplomacy has captured the hearts of the Great British public, according to Downing Street.
That includes building up a rapport with the journalists, photographers and camera crews stationed outside, who reward him with strokes and snacks.
When Cameron left Downing Street in 2016 after the British public backed the vote Leave campaign, Larry steadfastly stayed on.
Cameron even had to fight off rumours of a rift with his four-legged housemate at his last Prime Minister's Questions session with lawmakers.
He held aloft a photo of them together, denying suggestions that somehow I don't love Larry.
Since seen as belonging to Downing Street staff, Larry has cohabited with Theresa May and now Boris Johnson.
- 'I run the place' -
In a nation of animal-lovers, a cat in Downing Street plays a crucial role in public relations, the historian Anthony Seldon told AFP.
It helps to humanise the prime minister, said the author of biographies of the last four premiers.
At times of crisis, a cat can act as a distraction, he added.
Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, attributes Larry's longevity in the role to prime ministers' desire to bridge a huge disconnect between politicians and voters.
A prime minister, particularly one who has polarised the public, is going to seize any and every opportunity they have to give people the impression that they've got something in common.
Not all of us like cats -- which is presumably why Boris Johnson also got a dog, he added.
But millions of Brits have pets. So this is one such opportunity.
Larry has rubbed up against numerous world leaders on state visits -- with varying degrees of friendliness.
While he let Barack Obama stroke him, he immobilised Donald Trump's armour-plated presidential limousine, The Beast.
Larry sat underneath and stubbornly refused to move.
On Christmas Eve, as journalists waited outside for a Brexit trade deal announcement, Larry suddenly rushed forward and pounced on a pigeon, prompting gasps of excitement.
It flew away unharmed.
While maintaining a dignified silence in public, Larry has told his story in a book called The Larry Diaries by journalist James Robinson.
He also has an unofficial Twitter account, @Number10cat, with more than 433,000 followers.
Contacted via social media, the account's author insisted there is no human intervention and gave a brief insight into Larry's long rule at Downing Street.
The key thing to remember is that I live here permanently, the politicians just lodge with me for a bit until they're fired, he said.
They all work out sooner or later that it's me that runs the place.