Prime Minister Andy Burnham is to work from No 10 North in Manchester for the first time on Friday, marking a significant early moment in his plan to shift some functions of the Prime Minister's Office away from London.
No 10 North is currently based at Heron House, an existing UK Government building in central Manchester, serving as an interim headquarters while a permanent home is developed at the Manchester Digital Campus, a site under construction off Great Ancoats Street in New Islington. A Downing Street spokesperson has confirmed the running of No 10 North will be covered by existing Cabinet Office budgets, with no additional cost to taxpayers.
What No 10 North Is For
Burnham has set out three clear tasks for the new office: increasing public ownership of essential utilities such as water, energy and housing, and regenerating towns that have historically been left behind. A devolution department has also been established within No 10 North, taking on local economic growth and devolution strategy work previously handled by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Speaking at his first Cabinet meeting, Burnham described No 10 North as "not a gimmick," arguing that the "time for resisting devolution was over." He has also called it "the nerve centre of a rewired Britain," and said he expects to work from the Manchester base at least one day a week going forward.
Staff and Relocation
Civil servants have already begun working at the Manchester office, drawing staff both from the local area and from around the country. Those willing to relocate from London are being offered relocation packages, with reports suggesting Whitehall officials are being actively encouraged to make the move north.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority's chief executive, Caroline Simpson, is reported to be taking on the role of Burnham's Downing Street deputy chief of staff, heading up the day-to-day running of No 10 North.
Political Reaction
The plan has drawn criticism from opposition figures. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued that splitting the Prime Minister's Office between London and Manchester risked the two effectively working against each other, saying a northern and southern No 10 "will naturally fight against each other." The SNP's Westminster leader, Dave Doogan, said the proposals offered "nothing of substance for Scotland."
The Institute for Government, by contrast, welcomed the move as a step toward genuinely embedding devolution in how government operates, rather than treating it as a policy handled solely from Whitehall.
Why It Matters
Burnham's decision to physically relocate part of the machinery of government marks one of the most visible early acts of his premiership, and a direct attempt to make good on long-standing complaints, including his own as mayor of Greater Manchester, that policy affecting the North has too often been decided without it in the room. Whether No 10 North becomes a lasting fixture of government or a short-lived symbolic gesture is likely to depend on how much real decision-making authority ends up being exercised from Manchester rather than London.
Read the official Press Release here.