The new-look press briefing room was instantly mocked on social media and subsequently changed
We all had a right good chuckle at Downing Street's mock-White House briefing room redesign a couple of weeks ago. Aside from the obvious similarities to press rooms over the Atlantic, there were numerous problems from top to tail.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1371501168183148553?s=20
Not only did it cost £2.9 million to paint a few walls, put in some lighting, TVs and a few extra flags, but nobody seemingly looked at the layout and placement of these things either. No feng shui whatsoever.
A stack of four Union Jacks behind the podium itself seemed excessive and when the Her Majesty's government logo was hanging from the front of the wooden plinth, it simply read 'DOWN REET'. Is that them trying to use new slang to convey their relatability?
https://twitter.com/joncstone/status/1371497939093360643?s=20
After a virtually universal piss-taking, the design has been stripped back: instead of four massive flags behind the speaker, there are now just two, and they've opted to flank the central podium (featuring the HM badge) with two separate ones that read Downing Street.
The room saw its first use yesterday, as Boris Johnson, Chris Witty and Patrick Vallance addressed the nation of
easing of lockdown restrictions. Hopefully, as the world gradually gets back to normal, we won't have to see as much of it.
