Jeremy Corbyn’s cat ‘El Gato’ has died: Former Labour leader announces the death of his ‘socialist’ feline – which he once said would happily co-exist with Larry at No 10_Nhy
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn announced the passing of his ‘socialist’ pet cat ‘El Gato’ on social media on Monday.
The feline, whose name translates as ‘the cat’ in Spanish, died on Sunday January 19, Mr Corbyn said.
The MP for Islington North and his wife Laura Alvarez, a human rights activist, had previously joked that they were concerned El Gato was ‘a bit of a Tory‘ because of his ‘disappointing individualism’.
In an interview in 2017 with the Independent, Mr Corbyn said: ‘El Gato is, like all cats, fairly individual.’
However, Mr Corbyn also said that El Gato had at least some ‘socialist tendencies’ after spotting him sharing his food with a less fortunate, ownerless cat.
The MP explained: ‘He’s also formed a great friendship with a stray cat so there are socialist tendencies in Gato’s character. He’s allowing a stray cat to share his food.’
Mr Corbyn’s post on X on January 20 read: ‘It is with great sadness that I have to announce that El Gato died on Sunday.
‘He gave joy to many throughout his life. He was happy, gentle and full of personality.
The former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sadly announced that his beloved ‘socialist feline’ El Gato had died on Sunday
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pictured reading to his cat ‘El Gato’ on International Cat Day in 2019
Social platform X was flooded with condolences and messages of support for Mr Corbyn and his wife Laura following El Gato’s passing
‘Life with not be the same without El Gato’s company and friendship. We will miss him dearly.’
After Mr Corbyn and Ms Alvarez both made posts about El Gato’s passing on X, condolences and tributes flooded in for the feline, who was mostly white with a splash of black on the top of his head and front right paw.
One sympathetic user said: ‘Sad to hear this Jeremy. My last cat decided that staying awake was a bit of a chore last November. Their miaows say more sense than a lot of people we come across.’
Another revealed that Mr Corbyn had inspired them to name their own cat El Gato, adding: ‘I’m sure he knew how much you loved him and how lucky he was to have you!’
Cats have long been a part of Mr Corbyn’s life. In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday in 2015, Corbyn’s first wife Professor Jane Chapman said his idea of a good night was staying in with their tabby cat Harold Wilson – named after the former British Prime Minister – and eating cold baked beans.
During his time as Labour leader, Mr Corbyn was asked more than once if El Gato would be able to coexist with Number 10’s very own feline star Larry – but never got a chance to find out after his election losses in 2017 and 2019.
There has been a resident cat in the British government employed as a mouser and pet since the 16th century, although the first one to be given the official title of chief mouser by the British government was Larry in 2011.
Amazingly Larry, now 18, is still going strong and even has his own account on X where his nearly 874,000 followers can follow his comings and goings.
Mr Corbyn’s wife, human rights activist Laura Alvarez, also posted about El Gato’s unfortunate demise
Mr Corbyn jokingly said that El Gato had ‘socialist tendencies’ after spotting him sharing his food with a stray
A younger Mr Corbyn with his black and white moggy named El Gato – Spanish for ‘the cat’
Mr Corbyn joked that he and his wife Laura worried that El Gato was ‘a bit of a Tory’ due to his ‘disappointing individualism’
Larry, an expert mouser known with his own gigantic social media following, is seen sitting on the steps of No 10 Downing Street
Number 10 cat Larry turns shy while being stroked by former US President Barack Obama in 2011, as then-PM David Cameron watches on
Larry takes up his spot in front of the iconic door of Number 10, on the lookout for any mice to chase
Having been recruited from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in February 2011 on the basis of his skill in mouse-catching, Larry is now on his sixth prime minister in Keir Starmer.
He has outlasted prime ministers David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
Larry is known not only for his mousing abilities but also for his endearing antics, tense stand-offs with other four-legged rivals and occasional brushes with international stardom.
They including being stroked by President Obama and accidentally photobombing a live Sky News broadcast in November 2018.
However, not all politicians were such big fans of Larry, with Labour’s Scottish Secretary Ian Murray branding him a ‘little s***’, telling a dinner in Glasgow that he is ‘the most miserable animal you’ll ever meet in your life’.
Regardless, the ancient moggy now faces the challenges of old age, including a battle with arthritis, and Downing Street officials have begun quietly preparing for his eventual passing.
The foreign office did have their own cat, Palmerston, an occasional nemesis of Larry, but he was allowed to retire to the countryside in 2020.
There are currently three felines residents of Number 10. Larry has been joined by the Starmer family cat Jojo, who moved with them from their North London home, and a Siberian kitten named Prince.
