Leading ladies loath to leave expensive homes

London: David Cameron is finally moving his family into Downing Street — after wife Samantha insisted the "old-fashioned" kitchen in their new home was upgraded to Notting Hill standards.

After a fortnight of behind-the-scenes discussions about his four-house portfolio, Cameron has persuaded his family to swap the comfort of their modern £2.7 million (Dh14.3 million) London home for a temporary berth in the flat above No 10.

The Prime Minister, his wife and their two children will move into the apartment later this week.

But they will only stay at No 10 while refurbishments are made to the more spacious four-bedroom flat above Chancellor George Osborne's official residence at No 11, including a new upgraded kitchen.

Security advisers had expressed alarm over the apparent stalemate, pointing out that millions of pounds would have to be spent on protecting Cameron's London home if he, or his family, remained in place. It has now been decided that the house will be rented out. Cameron will keep his £1 million Oxfordshire constituency home and will regularly use Chequers at weekends.

In contrast, Osborne is expected to keep his family at their £2 million Notting Hill home, "bedding down" only occasionally in Downing Street whenever work demands it.

The families have agreed among themselves that the accommodation is simply not large enough for both of them, particularly with a third Cameron child expected in the autumn.

The complicated manoeuvres have been partly driven by the wives, with Samantha Cameron and Frances Osborne both loath to leave the familiarity of their West London neighbourhood, where the children of both couples attend schools.

The Camerons have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds upgrading their London home, turning the light, airy kitchen into a minimalist showpiece which has featured heavily in "at home" films of the Tory leader.