Labour has spent up to £80,000 of taxpayers’ cash refurbishing Downing Street‘s TV briefing room to get rid of ‘Tory blue’ decor, it has emerged.
Blue panelling and carpet has been removed in favour of creating a ‘politically neutral setting’ six months on from Labour’s general election victory.
The room, in 9 Downing Street, was originally established during Boris Johnson‘s time as PM as his government planned to hold White House-style TV briefings.
It followed his administration’s regular press conferences during the first wave of the Covid pandemic – but the plans for daily televised briefings were later ditched.
The room has since been used on an ad hoc basis for on-camera appearances by top ministers, although it hosts regular off-camera briefings by No10 for journalists.
Government officials insisted Labour’s refurbishment, carried out over Christmas, cost a ‘fraction’ of what had previously been spent on the room.
The original overhaul of 9 Downing Street, a Grade I-listed building, was revealed to have cost £2.6million in 2021.
The cash was spent on structural changes, equipment, lighting, electrical works and internet infrastructure.
Labour has spent up to £80,000 of taxpayers’ cash refurbishing Downing Street’s TV briefing room to get rid of ‘Tory blue’ decor
Blue panelling and carpet has been removed in favour of creating a ‘politically neutral setting’ six months on from Labour’s general election victory
The room, in 9 Downing Street, was originally established during Boris Johnson’s time as PM as his government planned to hold White House-style TV briefings
Although it was never used for daily TV briefings, Mr Johnson and his successors Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak (pictured) all used the room for press conferences
At the time, the Cabinet Office said the spend was in the public interest because it would ‘increase public accountability and transparency’.
Labour criticised the initial spend on the briefing room, with the party’s deputy leader Angela Rayner claiming it was a Tory ‘vanity project’.
‘It would take around 100 years for a newly qualified nurse to get paid this kind of money,’ she said of the cost of the new studio.
Although it was never used for daily TV briefings, Mr Johnson and his successors Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak all used the room for press conferences.
Tory MP Mike Wood, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, accused Labour of ‘staggering hypocrisy’ following their five-figure refurbishment of the room.
‘Not content with a state-of-the-art media facility, Labour have instead splashed taxpayer’s cash on a vanity refurbishment,’ he told The Times.
A Government spokesperson said: ‘A one-off refresh of the No9 media briefing room took place to restore the room to a politically neutral setting.’