Downing Street

The best known Downing Street is in central London, just off Whitehall. Number 10 Downing Street is the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and has been ever since it was given to the first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, by the nation. A police officer traditionally stands outside the black front door of Number 10 - a door which can only be opened from the inside. The block on which the prime minister lives now has locked, guarded gates at either end, to protect against possible terrorist attack.

Along with the prime minister's residence, the house contains a suite of offices.

Number 11 Downing Street is the home of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. After the 1997 general election in which Labour took power, an extraordinary swop was carried out by the present incumbents of the two titles, Tony Blair being a married man with three children still living at home, whilst his counterpart, Gordon Brown, was unmarried at the time of taking up his post. Although Number 10 continued to be the prime minister's official residence and contain the prime ministerial offices, Blair and his family actually moved into the more spacious Number 11, while Brown lived in the more meagre apartments of Number 10.