I've been invited to 10 Downing Street, and don't know what to expect. Can anyone give me guidance on protocol, what to expect.

October 21, 2011 7:53 PM

I've been invited to 10 Downing Street, and don't know what to expect. Can anyone give me guidance on protocol, what to expect.

I've been invited, "sponsored", to be a speaker at 10 Downing Street. The invitation came from a policy adviser who regularly meets with the Prime Minister. The meeting will be 90 minutes and I will be presenting to a roomful of Ph'd's and others with (gobs) more pedigree than I.

I have no idea what to expect, what the protocol will be. I would be most grateful for anything the hive mind has on this topic. The meeting is in a few weeks.

The secretary for the policy adviser mentioned "discussing arrangements", which I assume might include paying for travel (I'm in Chicago). I'm not concerned about paying my own way, but didn't want to miss out on the British government helping out. Again, I'd be grateful for any knowledge or advice on this.

Thank you!

posted by Land Ho to Law & Government (4 answers total)

I would be shocked if 10 Downing didn't have a protocol officer. Ask your sponsor to put you in touch. They'll answer all your questions - clothing, timing, security practices, appropriate ways to interact with the audience, etc. - that's what they're there for.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 6:32 AM on October 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I think it would help to know a few things. One, the UK generally has a very relaxed attitude to protocol for elected officials. Unless you are meeting the PM (in which case, you will get a walk and talk protocol briefing on the way to do that) there is no protocol in place here. This is very different than a royal visit, for example. Second, it may help to simply think of 10 Downing as a venue for a meeting. It isn't that big a deal to go there; regular people are in and out all day. Honestly, it's just a meeting in a place!
posted by DarlingBri at 1:20 PM on October 22, 2011

Best answer: No 10, both as a building and as a set of people, is smaller than you would expect. If you are meeting an official there, rather than the PM, it may help to figure out where they sit in the organisation. They may be a special adviser - ie a political appointment. Or they may be a permanent civil servant, either one of the PM's private office or the No 10 Policy Unit. Might be worth figuring out where your contact sits in the scheme of things.

You might get to be in one of the PM's bits of No 10, like the study, or you might be in one of the meeting rooms elsewhere in the building. Dress smartly - suit and tie for men, equivalent level of smartness for women - but beyond that don't worry about anything.

When you go in, it will be through the police check at the front gate. You then wander up to the front door. As DarlingBri says, civil servants, journalists, heads of organisations and members of the public are in and out of there for meetings all day, every day.
posted by greycap at 2:07 PM on October 22, 2011

Response by poster: Thank you everyone for your comments. My presentation went much better than I expected. Also, I received a grand tour of the place. Still haven't come down to earth from the experience.
posted by Land Ho at 9:55 PM on December 20, 2011