Chancellor preferred for 21-room mansion, in contrast to Tony Blair’s choice of offering it to his deputy John Prescott

Rachel Reeves has been given the use of Dorneywood, the 21-room Buckinghamshire mansion usually reserved for the second-most senior minister in government, instead of the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner.

Downing Street confirmed on Tuesday that the prime minister had given exclusive use of the house to his chancellor, as happened with her six immediate predecessors. However, the arrangement contrasts with that under Tony Blair, who gave the house to his deputy John Prescott, whom Rayner counts as an inspiration for her current role.