Downing Street’s £2.6 million briefing room got panned – 17 scathing takedowns
With the outraged cries over Carrie Symonds’ expensive redocoration of the flat she shares with Boris Johnson in Downing Street still echoing in the distance, another row has broken out.
This one is over the creation of a Number 10 briefing room, at a cost of £2.6m.
ITV News had the scoop.
EXCLUSIVE: @itvnews can reveal the new *£2.6m* Downing Street studio for new White House style press briefings. @PaulBrandITV https://t.co/Ps168jP9Cp pic.twitter.com/xlbJpFccD2
— Nathan Lee (@NathanLeeTV) March 15, 2021
Unless the walls were handpainted using mermaid-hair brushes by David Hockney, it’s a struggle to imagine why it was so expensive. Perhaps the lectern rises slowly through the stage, complete with Number 10 spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, for dramatic effect.
On face value, however, Tweeters were unimpressed – and not afraid to discuss it.
1.
I’d say £2.6million for a briefing room is pretty good value. The contractor even managed to recycle some wood panelling from the pub he runs just down the road from Matt Hancock. pic.twitter.com/ePxEl2mSw6
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) March 15, 2021
2.
£2.6 million to make it look like a special racist episode of Remain Indoors pic.twitter.com/oLnPxNpti0
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) March 15, 2021
3.
Incredible bang for their buck by the party of business, there https://t.co/nTnQY1aQ3O
— Marina Hyde (@MarinaHyde) March 15, 2021
4.
If I was art-directing this expensive government makeover of their press conference room for comedy, I couldn't have positioned the Henry more precisely for the eye to just notice it at the edge of vision. It's like a brilliantly deadpan placement. pic.twitter.com/NU6e5ppqan
— David Baddiel (@Baddiel) March 15, 2021
5.
How has this cost £2.6 million? I've seen more elaborate sets at a school play. pic.twitter.com/9arqMkJFWH
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) March 15, 2021
6.
Only four flags? WHY DOES DOWNING STREET HATE BRITAIN!?!???! https://t.co/bfp3WFC7EO
— Sooz Kempner (@SoozUK) March 15, 2021
7.
They paid £423,641 for that Henry vacuum… https://t.co/QqrHQDjeqL
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) March 15, 2021
8.
The four flags only look weird until you realise they will allow the spokesperson to take off and fly away, like a bee. https://t.co/iIFImFqoIq
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) March 15, 2021
9.
Henry Hoover photobombing this picture like that absolute lad he is https://t.co/YUrE4mbNwy
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) March 15, 2021