Burnham: dog Axel 'wouldn't get on' with Larry the cat

Prime Minister Andy Burnham says his rescue dog Axel will not move into Downing Street because he would not get on with Larry, the long-serving No 10 cat. Axel, a bichon frise–poodle cross, will stay in northern England so Larry’s world stays undisturbed.

Key Takeaways

• Burnham told the BBC Axel will remain in Greater Manchester rather than join him at No 10.
• He said the poodle-mix “wouldn’t get on” with Larry, the Cabinet Office’s chief mouser.
• Larry has lived at the Downing Street residence for 15 years.
• Axel is a rescue adopted from Dogs Trust Shrewsbury roughly a decade ago.

Why won’t Burnham’s dog move in with Larry?

In his first major broadcast interview as prime minister, Burnham was asked whether family pet Axel would join Larry at No 10. He affectionately called the dog “Famous Axel,” then made clear a Downing Street reunion was off the table.

“I think he’s going to have to stay up north I think, because he’s kind of got that angry little man thing going on. He’s got a bit of poodle in him,” Burnham told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, according to reports of the interview.

He added that Axel is “a bich-poo… or a poochon,” and that “he wouldn’t get on with Larry, let me put it that way.” Burnham also asked whether the public would thank him for bringing Axel south “to disturb Larry’s world,” concluding the dog is “staying up here.”

Who is Larry, and why does the clash matter?

Larry is the renowned “chief mouser” to the Cabinet Office and a fixture of No 10 life. The BBC notes he has lived at the residence for 15 years, making him a familiar public face of Downing Street beyond any single premiership.

That longevity helps explain Burnham’s caution. Rather than test a dog-cat standoff in the most watched home in British politics, he is keeping Axel in Greater Manchester. For more oddball culture-and-power stories, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub.

Coverage from The Independent and others underscores the same point: protecting Larry’s settled routine ranked above relocating the family dog.

What do we know about Axel the rescue dog?

Axel is a bichon frise–poodle cross. The Independent reports he spent just 12 days at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury before Burnham and his wife adopted him around 10 years ago.

Burnham’s framing mixed affection with realism. He leaned into Axel’s feisty “angry little man” streak while stressing he would not upend Larry’s established world for a viral pet clash at No 10.

The exchange came during the BBC interview package that also touched Burnham’s emotional first moments at Downing Street with his mother. On pets, though, the message was simple: Larry stays put, and Axel stays north.