By Justin Parkinson BBC News, 7 August 2020, Image copyright PA Media
Palmerston, the Foreign Office’s resident cat, has retired from mousing duties to « spend more time relaxing away from the limelight ».
In a « letter », he says he has moved away from Whitehall and is now climbing trees rather than « overhearing all the foreign dignitaries’ conversations ».
The black-and-white rescue cat, who has more than 105,000 Twitter followers, arrived from Battersea in 2016.
He has been known to clash with Larry, Number 10’s main mouse-catcher.
Their decidedly undiplomatic disputes – which have included several hissy fits and a stand-off in full view of the press in Downing Street – are not thought to have hastened his departure.
Named after the famously interventionist and amorous 19th-Century Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister Viscount Palmerston, Palmerston has often featured in photographs involving visiting officials. Image copyright UK government Image caption Not gardening leave: Palmerston is using his time to climb
In a distinctly anthropomorphic letter sent to Foreign Office permanent secretary Sir Simon McDonald, Palmerston « writes » that while there, he « pawed numerous memorandums » and set up his own « parallel network » for intelligence gathering.
He adds that, during the pandemic he, like so many other civil servants, has decided to « work from home » rather than in the office, while remaining « as diligent as ever ». https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.34.4/iframe.html Media captionPalmerston v Larry: tensions in Westminster on TV broadcast
Palmerston, whose age in cat years is uncertain, making a pension doubtful, has moved to an undisclosed location « in the countryside ».
He promises to remain « an ambassador for the UK » and praises his fellow « diplocats » and « diplodogs ». Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption Larry has not been « quoted » on his former sparring partner’s departure
Palmerston, whose letter mercifully refrains from puns on « paw-licy » and contractual « claw-ses », says he will enjoy more « me time » over the summer and beyond.
A replacement has yet to be appointed, to the probable delight of Foreign Office mice, who have yet to comment.
Possible names for Palmerston’s successor – assuming the link to former foreign secretaries is maintained – include Canning, Bathurst, Balfour, Eden, Rifkind and Miliband.
Updated/maj. 19-08-2020