--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ten Downing Street is a house, not an…" description: "\"Ten Downing Street is a house, not an office. That is its most important characteristic.\" — Douglas Hurd" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/douglas-hurd-19856_characteristics_ten-downing-street-is-a-house-not-an-off_2320407.png" --- # Ten Downing Street is a house, not an office. That is its… ![“Ten Downing Street is a house, not an office. That is its most important characteristic.” quote by Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/douglas-hurd-19856_characteristics_ten-downing-street-is-a-house-not-an-off_2320407.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/douglas-hurd-19856_characteristics_ten-downing-street-is-a-house-not-an-off_2320407.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/932/douglas-hurd-19856_characteristics_ten-downing-street-is-a-house-not-an-off_2320407.png) > “Ten Downing Street is a house, not an office. That is its most important characteristic.” [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes that Ten Downing Street serves primarily as a residence, not a bureaucratic office, shaping its functional identity. **In simple terms:** Ten Downing Street is a house, not an office. Key Takeaway Recognize the importance of symbolic spaces. Themes politics architecture symbolism Mood political analytical Type reflective informative When to use this quote - state visits - official ceremonies - media coverage Key Concepts government residences public perception Questions to Reflect On - How does a leader’s home influence policy perception? - What are the implications of mixing private and public spaces? A Different Perspective The building’s dual role can blur public expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Downing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downing/) [Downing street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downing-street/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) ## Related quotes > [Nation editor Katrina van den Heuvel told me that the failure to adequately cover the Downing Street Memo epitomizes the timidity, the cowardice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-rich/nation-editor-katrina-van-den-heuvel-told-me-that-the-failure-to/) [Frank Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-rich/) > [I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street. This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville-chamberlain/i-am-speaking-to-you-from-the-cabinet-room-at-10-downing-street-this/) [Neville Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville-chamberlain/) > [When I was in Downing Street, David Cameron saw me and said, "Please, shout it all around and let it penetrate to my cabinet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-blessed/when-i-was-in-downing-street-david-cameron-saw-me-and-said-please/) [Brian Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-blessed/) > [I'd be happy to have regular face-to-face meetings at Downing Street with David Cameron to argue the case for alternative economic policies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/i-d-be-happy-to-have-regular-face-to-face-meetings-at-downing-street/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [Actual evidence I have none, But my aunt's charwoman's sister's son Heard a policeman, on his beat Say to a housemaid in Downing Street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-arkell/actual-evidence-i-have-none-but-my-aunt-s-charwoman-s-sister-s-son/) Reginald Arkell > [There was a process in place at that time - the Downing Street Declaration of December 1993 - which set out the terms and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-trimble/there-was-a-process-in-place-at-that-time-the-downing-street/) [David Trimble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-trimble/) > [One of the depressing things in England is the total orthodoxy: the law is handed down from Downing Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/one-of-the-depressing-things-in-england-is-the-total-orthodoxy-the/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) > [I have been to Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street but cannot get on the BBC. I am very disappointed because it boils down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/i-have-been-to-buckingham-palace-and-10-downing-street-but-cannot-get/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [An empty taxi drew up outside 10 Downing Street and Clement Attlee got out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-attlee/an-empty-taxi-drew-up-outside-10-downing-street-and-clement-attlee/) [Clement Attlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-attlee/) > [Sometimes I fantasize that all my furniture has been destroyed in a cataclysm, and I have to start again with only the stationery catalogue.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/sometimes-i-fantasize-that-all-my-furniture-has-been-destroyed-in-a/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Within an office, it's important to create opportunities for anonymous feedback.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-blumenthal/within-an-office-it-s-important-to-create-opportunities-for-anonymous/) [Neil Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-blumenthal/) > [Running for office is important, and you don't really need more than to be right on the issues, and to be able to articulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gonzalez/running-for-office-is-important-and-you-don-t-really-need-more-than/) [Matt Gonzalez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gonzalez/) > [Dogs in the office are very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-jacobson/dogs-in-the-office-are-very-important/) [Nina Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-jacobson/) > [“it is true that the recession has been made much worse by Downing Street since the Coalition took office. But what was actually needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-craig/it-is-true-that-the-recession-has-been-made-much-worse-by-downing/) [David Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-craig/) > [“This is the BBC in London. You will now hear a statement from the Prime Minister.” “I am speaking to you from the Cabinet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-archer/this-is-the-bbc-in-london-you-will-now-hear-a-statement-from-the/) [Jeffrey Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-archer/) ## More by Douglas Hurd > [We, Britain and Germany, can neither of us be happy about our handling of the Iraq war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/we-britain-and-germany-can-neither-of-us-be-happy-about-our-handling/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [Diplomacy is unfashionable in the world of knee-jerk reaction and the dogmatic sound bite on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/diplomacy-is-unfashionable-in-the-world-of-knee-jerk-reaction-and-the/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [We must admit that history is enjoyable to a large extent because it enables us to pass judgment on the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/we-must-admit-that-history-is-enjoyable-to-a-large-extent-because-it/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [It is normal for politicians in all countries to profess themselves the pupils of history, anxious to draw the right lessons from her teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/it-is-normal-for-politicians-in-all-countries-to-profess-themselves/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [It depends on how it is done but what we are drifting into, which is that people grow up without any sense of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/it-depends-on-how-it-is-done-but-what-we-are-drifting-into-which-is/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [War on Iraq runs the risk of turning the Middle East into an inexhaustible recruiting ground for anti- western terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/war-on-iraq-runs-the-risk-of-turning-the-middle-east-into-an/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [There is nothing false or arrogant about German pride in German technical and business skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/there-is-nothing-false-or-arrogant-about-german-pride-in-german/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [Some people find it difficult to argue with a woman Prime Minister and shrivel up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/some-people-find-it-difficult-to-argue-with-a-woman-prime-minister/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [“Prison is an expensive way of making bad people worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/prison-is-an-expensive-way-of-making-bad-people-worse/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [A genuinely democratic Iraq might well act as a fresh spur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/a-genuinely-democratic-iraq-might-well-act-as-a-fresh-spur/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [Men like Hitler and Stalin and their immediate lieutenants cannot plead in defence of their actions that these were justified by the accepted values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/men-like-hitler-and-stalin-and-their-immediate-lieutenants-cannot/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [The tragedy of 9-11 galvanized the American superpower into action, leaving us in Europe divided in its wake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hurd/the-tragedy-of-9-11-galvanized-the-american-superpower-into-action/) [Douglas Hurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hurd/) > [I may be wrong in that, but not I think in putting the questions. 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