What happens inside Downing Street when one PM shuffles out the door, making way for their successor? In The Room hosts Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson have been there themselves – from opposite sides.
Helen MacNamara, former deputy cabinet secretary, has seen many leaders come and go, all from within the civil service. Meanwhile, Cleo Watson, as a No 10 special adviser, has been part of the incoming cavalry. Read Helen and Cleo’s quickfire Q&A from the latest episode below, and listen to the full episode here:
When does the new prime minister get the nuclear codes?
Helen: The PM does not get the nuclear codes. But there is one very hard thing that all prime ministers have to do, though not on the first day. They have to decide what instructions to give our nuclear submarine commanders on what to do if they cannot make contact with the UK after a nuclear attack. Every prime minister writes letters that are sealed and put on a submarine, which basically say whether to attack in revenge or not. None of us will ever know what is in those letters.
When will Andy Burnham realise he’s in charge, and there are quite scary things to come?
Helen: Day one. He’ll have to make some tough decisions on Monday, and that’s just the beginning.
How soon will lobbyists and current and former colleagues start badgering the new PM for things?
Helen: Three weeks ago. I sincerely hope that Burnham has taken the advice to change his phone number.
What is the time period between an old prime minister leaving and a new prime minister arriving?
Helen: No more than an hour. We don’t have gaps in our power, ever, in the UK, thankfully. It depends on how long both prime ministers speak to the King for. The house move is more challenging, particularly when you’ve got families and children to work with.
What do ex-prime ministers do after they leave No 10? Do they retreat to lick their wounds? Pick up a weird hobby?
Helen: I don’t know about former prime ministers’ hobbies, actually. They do tend to have to go and live somewhere else for a while, because they’ve quite often left office in a hurry, and haven’t got a plan. There’s probably somebody living in their house. Usually, some generous benefactor or friend will let them go live in their house while they work out what the hell they’re going to do with the rest of their life.
Is there a dress rehearsal for when the new prime minister arrives?
Helen: No. In 2015, we did have to remind ourselves of all sorts of things because it had been a while since we’d had a new prime minister. I don’t think that’s the case these days. I’m afraid the files aren’t even dusty.
Tell us about PMs moving into their new homes and what they might think about the previous tenants.
Cleo: When Boris and Carrie Johnson moved into the flat that Theresa and Philip May previously lived in, they called it a ‘John Lewis nightmare’. They did some quite expensive redecorating. And then when Jeremy Hunt went in, he talked about gold wallpaper. So there were some interior design choices not everybody agreed with, put it that way.
Helen: Also, John Lewis nightmare, I didn't agree with. Sounds lovely. Fancy. What would we give to live in a John Lewis nightmare?
Listen to the full episode of In The Room on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch on YouTube.
