Elections - #DogsAtPollingStations: Animal choice in Great Britain
Election Day in Britain - this means: Show us your dogs. Under the hashtag #DogsAtPollingStations (#HundeAnWahllokalen) in social media, photos of dogs in front of polling stations have been posted, as they have in previous years. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also participated. In a video he released at X, Luna the dog played the leading role.
Khan is a Labour Party member. According to all surveys, Labour is set to win the election. In this case, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer would replace Conservative incumbent Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister.
The British people are known to be particularly animal-loving. Politicians are no exception. Sunak, for example, has a dog named Nova. His predecessor Boris Johnson is often seen with dog Dilyn. Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle owns several animals, including a parrot named Boris (named after Johnson) and a tortoise named Maggie (after former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was known as a "hard shell").
The likely future Prime Minister Starmer currently does not have a dog - however, his two children in their teenage years are lobbying for one, the 61-year-old recently told ITV. The family does, however, have a cat named Jojo.
The secret ruler of Downing Street has been Larry the cat since 2007. The animal even has an official title: "Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office", chief mouse hunter.
- Many people brought their dogs to the polling stations on Election Day in London, following the trend set by #DogsAtPollingStations.
- The Parliamentary election in Great Britain saw intense competition between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.
- Despite being a dog-loving nation, Great Britain has yet to see a Prime Minister who leads with a dog by their side, unlike their counterparts in Germany.
- Rishi Sunak, the Conservative incumbent, is not an exception to the love for animals in Parliament, as he owns a lively dog named Nova.
- Even during the heated election campaign, London Mayor Sadiq Khan found time to post a colorful video featuring his dog Luna, showcasing the harmony between politics and pets.
- If Labour wins the election as predicted by surveys, Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, will take over from Sunak as the Prime Minister of Great Britain.
- Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister, was also known for his love for animals, often seen with his dog Dilyn, and had a unique tradition of naming his pets after significant figures.
- While out of office, Johnson's successor, the probable future Prime Minister Keir Starmer, does not have a dog, but his children actively lobby for one, and the family shares their home with a cat named Jojo.
