A day within the lifetime of Britain’s most well-known information canine: Watch how Jennie the golden retriever went from a horror XL Bully assault to the Lib Dem’s secret weapon at MP Steve Darling’s aspect

‘I got approached last night when we were in the Chamber and asked to defect to the Labour Party,’ Liberal Democrat Steve Darling tells me, a laugh playing across his face in his too-warm office, deep in the maze of Westminster.

After 30 years as a councillor and leader of the local authority in his native Torbay, the MP’s fierce loyalty to his constituents would make him a thrilling scalp for any political campaign.

And with cherry red Doc Martins, he is as cool as any of the government’s fresh-faced front bench.

‘Strangely enough I said no,’ he answers himself with a delighted laugh – because everyone in the room knows the real reason that Starmer wants Mr Darling on his side.

The object of their envy lies next to him, sprawled out on the green-patterned carpet, absentmindedly alternating between a red dinosaur toy and searching looks for attention.

Jennie, the affectionately-dubbed Leader of the O-paw-sition, has inspired a united devotion among the Commons benches that most politicians could only dream of since she was first sworn in with the last Parliament.

Mr Darling’s devoted guide dog, she has captivated the public with her long naps in PMQs and eagerness to get some love from nearby politicians – sparking fun-filled viewing for even the most yawn-inducing of debates.

Fan pages on social media – including Rt Hon Jennie, on Twitter – have amassed nearly 20,000 followers anxiously waiting for her latest updates.

But in the honourable hound’s day-to-day work she pays a vital role in her owner’s life – helping him avoid bollards, bins and making sure he stays on the right path at all times.

Mr Darling has Stargardt disease, a genetic form of macular degeneration that means he has lost his central vision. He was formally registered blind in his teens and waited almost three years before being matched with Jennie, his first pup.

The MP now jokes that she is second only in popularity to Larry the cat – Number 10’s Chief Mouser – saying the next step will be for her to be given the same honours as Britain’s most powerful puss.

‘I think Jennie’s so disappointed that there’s no mugs with her on them down in the Commons shop,’ he says.

‘She’ll be pushing for that next year!’

But it’s not just adoring eyes that Jennie has attracted, Mr Darling says. In a world where diplomacy is key, she puts the softness in soft power.

He continued: ‘She’s a very people dog. She’s better at working a room than a politician!

‘People think ‘why has she put her paw up on me?’ – it’s not because she’s after food, it’s because she wants to be loved by people.

‘Jennie is such a good bridge to other people, other politicians. Jennie is something of joy.

‘Colleagues tell me that the temperature slightly drops in the Chamber when myself and Jennie arrive, that there is this softer side of politics that arrives then.’

And the guide dog’s sense of fun has not left her, despite the vigorous training she has gone through to be the MP’s companion.

As we clip a camera onto her harness and unclip the handle attached to her back, his team are worried that she will continue to act responsibly while her official ‘uniform’ is still on.

But we needn’t have worried – she is off and zooming around Victoria Gardens the moment she is free – barrelling her way across the space of green that she adores beside Westminster Palace.

Gone is the luxurious elegance of her sleeping in the Commons – as she throws herself across the grass and whips between groups of people, hurtling along with a bouncing energy rivalled only by the huge smile stretched across her face.

Collecting ourselves, we release her also from the harness and camera, and she is allowed to do what she loves best – covering every hair of her blond fur in the patch’s dirt.

Coming up for air she is all mud and thrilled smiles, as she pounds her way around the grassy strip.

Standing by with a wry smile, Mr Darling says that there is only one place on the central London estate that she loves more.

‘Her favourite place is the terrace café,’ he smiles. ‘Rita and Betty on the tills there in the morning always make a fuss of her.’

And it is not just Rita and Betty who love Jennie – as she walks through Westminster Hall, busy with Christmas guests, a crowd follows her across the stately room.

Laura, who works in Steve’s office, admitted that getting to spend her days with Jennie is as amazing as the rest of the public might imagine. The pampered pooch tends to spend the working day sat next to her chair – knowing that is where she will get the most attention.

‘It’s the best job ever,’ she laughed. ‘I love Jennie so much. I think everyone’s quite jealous of us!’

And among Jennie’s biggest fans are some well-known faces – including Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

An animal lover himself, who counts among his menagerie a parrot called Boris and a tortoise called Maggie, he could be seen generously greeting Jennie as he gave her a pet on her first appearance in the Commons.

Breaking from his stern political façade, Sir Lindsay crouched down to meet her, greeting the cultivated canine with a gentle ‘hello!’.

But the second the harness is back on Jennie is back to business – responsibly treading Mr Darling’s route to work as they cross a busy zebra crossing, while a lorry and several cars pause to give them space.

Speeding along, we rush after the MP and his furry sidekick as they move towards Westminster, leaving us puffing in their wake.

Later, we hear that her speed is one of Jennie’s incredible qualities, for which she was matched to Mr Darling.

The ideal candidate for the MP’s sidekick, she inspires adoring looks across his constituency – but also has a love for long sleeps and a gentle nature, which is essential for long days tucked up in the Commons.

Zoe Lines, the Guide Dog Mobility Specialist who trained and matched Jennie with Steve, said: ‘Jennie has proven to be the perfect guide dog for Steve. Her confidence with various modes of transport and her natural ease in different environments and social settings aligns seamlessly with Steve’s responsibilities as an MP.

‘Jennie’s role has not only showcased the incredible bond between guide dogs and their owners but has shone a spotlight on the transformative services Guide Dogs provides. These services empower individuals with sight loss to lead active, independent, and fulfilling lives. 

‘Steve’s presence in Parliament serves as a powerful testament that vision impairment is no barrier to achieving great things – and with Jennie by his side, it’s clear how the right support can be life-changing.’

Jennie’s fame comes in a year when a spotlight has been shone on blind communities, as the condition has been brought to the forefront of popular culture.

On Strictly, audiences were blown away by incredible Chris McCausland, the comedian who sensationally won the competition despite having retinitis pigmentosa.

And in late November Sir Elton John confirmed his eyesight had gone, saying it had left him unable to watch his latest musical.

Mr Darling said: ‘It’s really useful to have somebody in the Commons who has a lived experience of this world, but also it’s important for people who see myself and Jenny to recognize that there’s people from all backgrounds in the Commons.

‘It’s just nice to make sure that we’re more a reflection of society than people who all went to public school.’

But Jennie’s bond with Mr Darling lies on more than just a professional level – when in September 2023, he helped save her life when she came face to face with Britain’s XL Bully crisis.

She was out helping Steve canvass for votes when the brute ran out of a garden and latched onto her throat.

Terrifying photos from after the bloodbath showed where the beast’s jaw marks had lacerated Jennie’s fur – before four heroic volunteers eventually managed to wrestle it away.

Reliving the scene, Mr Darling said: ‘It went straight for her throat, and then it was a matter of trying to grapple the dog off her. It took four of us to get the dog off her.

‘At one point, it kept on jumping on her to have another go. Fortunately, other people got Jennie behind a gate while I ended up lying on top of the dog to stop it going on her.

‘Only afterwards do you think of what could have gone wrong then with me.

‘Jenny is just so mild and positively natured that even when she had blood dripping down her throat and onto her chest after the dog had been taken away, she was on the pavement putting her paw up to children to be loved by them.

‘Jenny is a bit more mistrustful around flat faced brown dogs now so if she sees an XL Bully-looking dog she will choose to go a bit into the road to avoid them. She’s a little bit more cautious, but apart from that she’s done very, very well.’

Mr Darling says that while Jennie will always be an amazing part of his appeal, he has always fought to maintain his fierce grip on policy.

Before becoming the MP for Torbay, he was a local councillor for 30 years, four of which were spent as leader of the authority.

It won most improved council of the year in 2023, and he has been a stern voice against the critical issues of sewage and the cost-of-living crisis.

And as the Lib Dems’ Work and Pensions spokesman he has fought for the Waspi women – saying they ‘deserve fair treatment, not the cold shoulder’. 

‘I don’t want to be defined by my disability,’ Mr Darling said. ‘But I’m keen to use my position here to push on the right issues.

‘Yesterday was the International Day of Disability and I took the opportunity to reach out to [Minister of State for Social Security and Disability] Stephen Timms at the end of the debate and point at that even though how the Equality Act has been here for well over a decade now, sadly people with disabilities are still being discriminated against.

‘If two people with a protected characteristic go into a restaurant and are told not to sit in a certain area for one it is breaking the criminal law, but if the other is told the dame they have to use the civil courts.

‘I pointed that out to Stephen Timms and he said there’s a helpline you can ring. You wouldn’t expect somebody of colour to ring a helpline if they were discriminated against because of the colour of their skin. Why not have the same rules apply?’