does the prime minister live amongst the people like a civilian?? SERIOUS QUESTION?

Question

i just watched the movie the Queen (which was an extrordinary movie by the way) and the way it showed Tony Blair to be living was just in a regular house, in a regular neighborhood, his driver would just drop him off at his house and he would walk up to his door by himself, which is actually pretty cool if it is thats true... so is it?

but i am aware of the obvious facts that the Prime minister of the UK would make good money and have some kind of security.

Answer 1

Actually, at the time period you're speaking of (During the whole "Diana Crisis") Tony Blair was living at Number 11 Downing.

The official apartments at # 10 are rather small; and at the time, the Blairs, with their 3 children, lived in the more spacious apartments of the Chancellor's house next door, while the Chancellor (Gordon Brown) who was single at the time, lived in the more cramped digs of #10.

After Brown married, and the Blair's had their 4th child, Mr. Brown moved out of #10, and now the Blair family occupy the apartments in both #10 and # 11.

Hope this answer helps. Cheers, mate.

Answer 2

The scenes you are probably thinking of were in his constituency in northern England where he owns a home and spends some weekends. He was there the weekend Diana died and goes there to vote on election days. There is still security to protect him but it is a 'normal' house. It is similar to Bush's home in Crawford, though much smaller and less remote.

Most of the time he lives in 10 Downing St, which is much smaller than many heads of governments' residences but inaccessible to the public. Downing St is sandwiched between two government office buildings, and people can only look through the gates at the end of the street and see him come out the front door (until the 1980s the street was open to pedestrians). He also has use of a country manor in Buckinghamshire, good for entertaining foreign visitors or hosting meetings. I don't know how much people in Trimdon, County Durham see him out and about when he's there, but in London security makes it impossible to live like an ordinary civilian.

Answer 3

Security for the Prime Minister will be tight but discrete. 10 Downing Street looks like a normal terraced house, but as the other replier said is rather posh inside. That black painted front door with it's policeman is the access to a large complex.
Downing Street cannot be accessed by the public, it is gated off at each end. Prior to attacks from Irish terrorists, etc, you used to be able to go down Downing Street and stand opposite No10, but modern security procedures have resulted in the gates mentioned.
The Prime Minister is also an MP and has a house in his constituency and may well have property elsewhere. When he at these properties and, for instance, on holiday, there will be the same discrete but tight security.

Answer 4

I don't know about Tony Blair...but the Prime Minister of Canada lives in a semi large house with his family. All PMs have a cirtian amount of security as do their children and wives/husbands. I think that the PMs house is gated and gaurded by the RCMP. But he doesn't live in the same style as the President. Oddly enough our govenor general (the queens' rep in Canada) has a much nicer pad and a bigger budget than the PM

Answer 5

The offices and residence of the Prime Minister is 10 Downing Street in London. It appears a more open than the White House, but there are guard houses at the end of the street, so you couldn't just walk up and knock.

Answer 6

Believe it or not our Prime Minister Tony Blair is an ordinary guy with a wife and family. He worked is way up to the top by working hard at college and university and decided politics was for him. He is soon to be succeeded by Mr. Gordon Brown who himself is an ordinary guy who has a wife and family. The residence in London is the official residence of the Prime Minister of England and has been so for many many years. He does have security and probably will still have it once he leaves office.

Answer 7

Connaught Square is described as a desirable area by estate agents
Connaught Square, W2, a stone's throw from Hyde Park, Mayfair and Oxford Street, is where the Blairs intend to settle when the prime minister steps down.

It has cost the family around £3.5m to secure a house in the neighbourhood.

Answer 8

I saw George Robertson, when he was the UK Defence Secretary, getting on a Circle line tube train at Westminister station. The vast majority of UK politicians live "ordinary" lives and I suspect you will find than even the Prime Minister is not as cosseted as members of the US Government.

That said, I saw the President of Iceland waiting his turn to get a seat in a Pizza restaurant in Reykjavik. Can't see a British PM even being allowed to do that!!

Answer 9

He lives at Number 10 Downing street...which does look like an ordinary building, quite unlike the White House. But it is very spectacular inside, very formal and quite large. Appropriate, you might say, for the Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Answer 10

The PM is a civilian! As head of government (NOT Head of State as the current PM likes to act), he has to have a level of security that means that his day-to-day lifestyle is not the same as the rest of us. Don't believe everything you see in films, by the way, particularly one so over-rated 'The Queen'.