Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

On Sky news this morning there was an item regarding 10 Downing street considering setting up a Whitehall charity, so that Carrie Symonds can do up 11 Downing street. She wants a complete overhaul, including gold wallpaper. The charity will ask for money from Tory Donators.

https://news.sky.com/story/johnson-c...eover-12233219

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

It won’t be their permanent abode...so why not set up a fund..,


Charity fund?.....I would love to see it once renovated.

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

I don't see the problem personally.

It's doubtful that any government-owned accommodation is going to be to everybody's tastes and why shouldn't a new occupier be able to put their "stamp" on it just as any renter tries to do when they rent a new property?
FWIW surely it's better that the taxpayer isn't funding redecorating and a makeover.

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

Zaphod - its the sheer crassness of it, given the state of society now in this pandemic. Poverty, job losses, tax rises.....and she has the audacity to whinge about gold wallpaper. I know I'm probably going a bit overboard about it, but what about solidarity with the country? She has the cheek to work with an animal charity, yet is chatting about a charity to fund her redecorating? It just feels so very wrong.

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

On the one hand, it's a good idea to set up a charity to provide funds for the maintenance and conservation of Nos 10 and 11, Downing Street rather than relying on the public purse ..... on the other hand, it seems like a subterfuge to cover Symonds' expensive tastes (she's, allegedly, already spent over £100,000 on refurbishment) by employing multi-millionaire financier and Tory peer Lord Brownlow to run the "charity".

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

Perhaps Boris is being optimistic and assumes he'll win another election....

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

Hi

The State Rooms and offices are decorated by the Civil Service, nothing to do with Boris.

The Two flats, one at 10 and one at 12 are occupied by Politicians who get an allowance for decorating when they move in.

This allowance is paid for by the Government, us the taxpayer.

Any cost over this allowance is paid for by whoever is living there.

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

It's a publicly owned building, so she should apply for a grant-in-aid payment or apply to Historic England for assistance as it IS a building of great historic interest. It used to be under the wing of DAMHB, but since that was absorbed some years back, I do not know where it's replacement can be found.

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

Who cares?

Re: Carrie Symonds and the Gold Wallpaper

I agree, there seems to be an abundance of unnecessary news items these days.....