Jacob Rees-Moggy
Meet the cat at the heart of government (but not everyone’s purrfectly happy)
HE seems effortlessly at ease with every aspect of the office: the swivel chair, the out-tray, the filing system, even the telephone.
He clearly thinks he’s a political rising star, patrolling the corridors of power with the swagger of famous politicians such as Brexiteer Jacob rees-mogg.
Yet it seems unlikely he will be taken on as a member of staff, for this ginger cat is an uninvited guest at one of the Scottish Government’s busiest buildings.
Civil servants have been surprised – sometimes alarmed – to find the moggy making himself at home among their desks at Saughton House, Edinburgh.
The cat, thought to live near the building which is home to several government agencies, has taken to nipping in through the revolving door.
Some staff have nicknamed him Ginge and even posted photos on social media, but others have been less happy, complaining they have suffered allergies and even scratches.
Now an email has been circulated asking staff to ensure Ginge is not let into the building, which houses the Parole Board for Scotland, Hm Chief Inspector of Prisons in Scotland and others.
It is also the office of Sheila Voas, Chief Veterinary officer for Scotland, who has been posting humorous messages on social media about the four-legged interloper since last month.
She wrote: ‘He comes to visit (+help) when security aren’t looking,’ while last week she joked he was ‘making sure we don’t leave early’.
Nadine Arber, who works at Saughton House as avian and equine exotic disease policy lead, also tweeted: ‘This office visitor brightened my day. I noted an inverse correlation as his purring levels increased and my stress levels decreased.’ Explaining the bid to ban the cat, one insider said Ginge had been caught scentmarking his new territory, creating a health hazard for public servants. A Scottish Government spokesman said the cat is not a stray but lives near Saughton House. She added: ‘we appreciate that many staff are happy to share their workplace, but we have had to ask people not to encourage the cat following complaints from those with allergies and some staff who had been scratched.’ Cats play a surprisingly prominent role in British politics. Larry, the No 10 Downing Street cat, has served under Prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa may. meanwhile, Palmerston, named after Lord Palmerston, former Prime minister, patrols the whitehall HQ of the Foreign and Commonwealth office.
‘He comes to visit when security aren’t looking’