The Prime Minister has stripped all traces of the Conservative Party blue decor from Downing Street’s room used for televised briefings. Spending £80,000, the media briefing room has been redecorated as it did not fit with Labour’s theme of red.
The room in 9 Downing Street has seen its blue boards that partially covered wood panelling behind the lectern. Former Prime Minster Boris Johnson established the media room in 2020 which was originally planned for the use of daily televised press conferences.
However, this idea was later dropped, yet the room is still used for media briefings by prime ministers and other ministers.
Under Mr Johnson’s premiership, the room’s original fittings cost a staggering £2.6million. A Freedom of Information Act revealed the main works of the refurbishment cost £1.8million, with additional costs then added for ‘long-lead items’ and ‘broadband equipment’.
This was justified at the time by the Cabinet Office who stated it was in the “public interest”, increasing “public accountability and transparency”.
Despite the room’s creation, the initial intention never came to fruition.
The infamous media room garnered attention in 2021 following the emergence of a video revealing staff from No.10 discussing Christmas parties.
The leaked footage showed Allegra Startton rehearsing for daily televised media briefings. One potential question floated was whether a Christmas party at Downing Street had been appropriate during Covid restrictions.
Following this, the daily briefings did not go ahead.
After the total cost of the room was revealed, Angela Rayner strongly criticised the Tories expenditure. The now deputy prime minister compared the then government’s spending to the proposed 1% pay rise for NHS nurses.
She said: “It would take around 100 years for a newly qualified nurse to get paid this kind of money.
“It sums up Boris Johnson’s warped priorities that he can find millions for vanity projects, while picking the pockets of NHS workers.”
Ms Rayner added: “Our NHS heroes deserve a fair pay rise after all they have done for us.”