Prime Minister Andy Burnham is today holding his first meetings at the new No 10 North office in Manchester, a key initiative aimed at shifting governmental power from Whitehall and Westminster to regions across the United Kingdom.
During his first day at the North West branch of Downing Street, Mr. Burnham will chair a meeting of the National Economic Council. This cabinet committee, originally established in 2008 to address economic challenges nationwide, will convene senior ministers and regional mayors to prioritise devolution within the government's mission to improve Britain.
Ahead of the meeting, the Prime Minister stated, "For 40 years, power and resources have been sucked into the centre, and too many communities have felt forgotten, without the attention and investment they deserve." He further declared, "The days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over, for good."
Strategic decisions concerning devolution and local economic growth are set to transition from the Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to No 10 North, although both departments will maintain input in these areas.
Ministers Lucy Powell and Louise Haigh are also scheduled to operate regularly from the new Manchester site. By the end of next year, up to 300 civil servants are expected to join them. Rayner, whose constituency is in Greater Manchester, is also anticipated to work from the new location for the first time today.
Mr. Burnham's agenda for his initial day includes discussions with prominent business leaders, such as representatives from the Federation of Small Business, the Confederation of British Industry, and the British Chambers of Commerce. These talks will focus on strategies to stimulate growth and investment.
The Labour government aims to develop a plan that integrates existing devolution strategies and local growth policies, fostering closer collaboration among civil servants, mayors, councils, and businesses.
In his first week in power, Mr. Burnham has already made several interventions to alleviate the cost of living, notably announcing a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, social clubs, and live music venues, effective from April next year.
However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has criticised Mr. Burnham's ambitions as "too small." Speaking on Thursday, she urged him to address high energy costs for businesses and a significant gap in defence funding. "When you are mayor of Manchester, you are handed a big pot of someone else's money, and you decide where to spend it," Ms. Badenoch commented. "Andy Burnham needs to do better. He is behaving like he's still the mayor of Manchester. He is now the prime minister of the United Kingdom, he needs to start acting like it."
No 10 North is currently operating out of Heron House in central Manchester, sharing the building with offices for the intelligence service GCHQ. Specialist police officers have already been observed guarding the premises, and the Prime Minister is expected to work from the site weekly.
The longer-term base for No 10 North is projected to be a new government site currently under construction in Manchester's Ancoats area, though its completion is not anticipated until 2032.
This move aligns with a broader governmental effort to relocate civil servants outside of London. Last year, a target was set to reduce the number of roles in the capital by 12,000. Recent figures indicate that 19.6% of civil servants are based in London, a figure that has been steadily decreasing over the past four years. In senior roles, 13.5% of civil servants are located outside London, compared to 34.7% within the capital. Whitehall officials willing to relocate to Manchester have reportedly been offered relocation packages.
