For 300 years, 10 Downing Street has been the official residence and office of Britain's prime ministers, but former staffers have now revealed the famous address is a crumbling, chaotic environment that is hampering the effective running of the country.
A Building 'Not Fit for Purpose'
According to a damning report by Politico, which gathered testimony from former Number 10 aides, the Georgian townhouse is plagued by a plethora of frustrating issues. The building is described as 'crumbly' and being held together with gaffa tape, featuring fraying curtains, a lack of showers, and toilets that occasionally emit a foul stench.
Unlike the grand executive buildings of other nations, such as the White House or Germany's Federal Chancellery, the UK's prime minister is expected to live, work, and host world leaders in this 'topsy-turvy' warren of poky rooms. The age and poor design of the building are cited as major factors impacting staff and operations.
The Hunt for a Phone Signal
One of the most singled-out problems is the building's atrocious mobile phone reception. A former aide to Liz Truss described the situation as an 'absolute f***ing nightmare'.
Staff are reportedly forced to hang out of windows or move between rooms to find a quiet spot with sufficient signal to hold a conversation, a struggle compounded by the noise from soldiers on the nearby Horse Guards Parade.
This revelation comes amid wider national frustration over mobile connectivity. A 2023 Ofcom report found that seven per cent of the UK lacks any 4G coverage, while the UK was also found to have the worst average 5G download speeds among G7 nations.
Layout Fuels Communication Breakdown
Beyond the poor infrastructure, the internal layout of Number 10 is causing significant operational headaches. The building is a maze of small rooms, leading to battles over desk space and staff fiercely defending any workspace that offers proximity to the prime minister.
A former aide to Boris Johnson stated the setup was 'massively unhelpful' for running the country. They revealed that simply finding colleagues, such as the policy unit, was so difficult that meetings had to be held in the lobby, a situation they labelled 'pathetic'.
These physical constraints are now being linked to concerns about the current Prime Minister's operation. One former aide reportedly said, 'Keir hates it', referring to Sir Keir Starmer's experience working in the building. Across Whitehall, there are growing worries that Downing Street has become siloed and 'toxic', with a high turnover of senior aides raising questions about the stability of his leadership.
While the fate of Starmer's premiership is said to hinge on the chemistry with his team, it remains unclear whether solving the physical problems of 10 Downing Street would resolve its political challenges. The Independent has contacted Downing Street for comment.
