Remember when it was revealed that Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds had re-decorated their family flat at 11 Downing Street with ‘gold’ £840 a roll Lulu Lytle wallpaper, funded by £112,000 of Tory donors’ cash? Well, after Boris’ eventual resignation earlier this summer, we’ve all been wondering: What’s going to happen to the aureate décor now? It seems wasteful to just lob it in the bin, but after rumours of the paper falling off the walls of its own accord—maybe it’s not too much of a loss…
This week, a Tweet went viral claiming that the wallpaper was actually protected as a historical artefact. ‘Breaking news: English Heritage slap emergency preservation order on the Johnson’s number 11 flatinterior,’ it read. ‘A spokesperson for English Heritage said “It is a remarkable example of the high Narcissism or Delusional Style of the 2020s “elites”.’
But despite proving believable to many, the savage quotes and announcement itself (much like Joe Lycett’s Sue Gray Report) is satire, with English Heritage confirming to Grazia that they don’t even provide preservation orders anymore.
What will happen to Boris Johnson’s Downing Street wallpaper?
So, what actually will be the fate of Boris Johnson’s controversial home renovation materials? Well, the Prime Minister’s spokesman has confirmed that, according to government rules, Boris can take anything he paid for himself away from Downing Street when he moves.
As the PM sent Tory donor Lord Brownlow his £112,000 for the refurb back, he will be able to take the golden wallpaper with him—though it’s still to be confirmed whether he’s managed to scrape it off of the wall in one piece. Additionally, Boris won’t be allowed to take any of the £30,000 worth of items the taxpayer footed the bill for, including paintings and floorboards.
The Johnson’s big Downing Street exodus appeared to start earlier this week, with two large removal vans spotted parked outside the residence. It’s unclear where the family are planning to live next, but they’ve already put their house in Camberwell up on the market for £1.6million.