So how long does Sunak actually get to move out?

[CormorantStrikesBack]

That’s if he actually lives in 10 or 11 Downing Street (not sure if he has another London house, probably). But if he didn’t have another London property how quickly is he expected to vacate Downing Street? By end of the day Friday?

Will Starmer actually move in Friday afternoon or is the walking through the door just for show and actually Sunak gets another week to pack up?

There's a breakdown of the first 72 hours of being PM here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/new-prime-minister-first-72-hours-general-election

They move out first thing in the morning. Removal staff do everything for them. It's very quick.

Basically they have to be out ASAP. Usually this is handled by a team of movers.

There are some photos of the Camerons moving out here: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3685908/amp/Cameron-walks-away-Downing-Street-40-000-pension-20-000-pay-ll-Tony-Blair-family-live.html

It looks as if, in 1997, Norma Major had planned ahead and got a load of stuff out weeks before the election so that the press wouldn't see. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/dec/31/norma-major-moved-clothes-out-downing-street-labour-victory

2010 was a bit different because of the hung parliament, so Gordon Brown was in number 10 whilst the negotiations went on behind the scenes for a coalition to be formed.

Sunak probably has loads of London properties, and can't be bothered being at number 10 much because it interferes with his real job.

It's not like us moving though, they won't have to do any legwork or book the removal van

Yeah I can't really imagine Sunak's family living in Number 10 or Number 11, it would be incredibly far below their usual standard of living.

I seem to recall it took a few days for the Blair/Booth family to move into number 10, thinking of that pic of Cherie on the doorstep. In this article she says they moved in over the weekend. I'd forgotten that originally they had wanted to stay in their own house https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/may/08/cherie-blair-nightie-downing-street-thats-me-in-the-picture

But the Majors were out on the Friday.

Actually, I don't think the Tories will do as badly as expected.

I would think that the family never properly moved in. Either way, it’s not their problem. They have staff.

Probably as well to have a removal van sorted just in case, though @Kendodd ! You can always cancel it if it turns out you're staying put. Sunak will have those one way tickets to California to cancel as well.

If he loses his seat, I wonder if he will sell the Yorkshire house or keep it as a holiday cottage

didnt his wife and children move out of number 10 fairly soon after moving in? They went back to their London house a short distance away for “school reasons”

Yes @ALovelyCupOfNameChange they moved out in 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/10/rishi-sunak-family-moves-out-downing-street-tax-row

I suspect there are plans already in place. It's likely that whenever there is an election there are plans set up just incase - things like removal bans, etc.

And having had friends use the full service where they come in and pack for you and everything it's all fairly quick and efficient, even if you've done nothing beforehand.

Good grief, when you think of the effort and money involved with moving people around and getting them up to speed it's incredible to think that the Tories have had five Prime Ministers in the last 14 years!

Add on to that six Chancellors of the Exchequer and it must cost the tax payer a fortune.

Thanks for the links, interesting reading. Funny that they struggled to get Ken Clark out of no 11 in a timely manner. Yes, I do suspect Mrs Sunak and the kids and probably Rishi as well don’t live there in any meaningful way.

Yeah, I don't think they really live full time at No 10, my understanding is it's relatively small, certainly for someone like Sunak's family who will be used to the high life.