Andy Burnham, the favourite to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the likely successor to Keir Starmer, has announced plans to relocate part of the Prime Minister’s Office to Manchester. This will serve as a symbol of the decentralisation of power and a ‘reset’ for Britain.
Speaking at the Museum of People’s History in Manchester, Burnham promised to establish ‘No. 10 North’ — a northern branch of the Prime Minister’s official residence. He said that some of the Prime Minister’s staff would move to Manchester to bring the running of the country closer to the regions.
Burnam emphasised that he intends to “take power away from the centre” and give more authority to local authorities and mayors. The new office in Manchester, he believes, will become the “nerve centre of a revitalised Britain” and help ensure “strong growth in every postcode in the country”.
“We will transfer some of the Prime Minister’s Office staff here to Manchester. The changes will be implemented through an expanded Prime Minister’s Office operation based here,” the politician said.
Burnam’s initiative has received widespread support in the northern regions of the UK, where there is traditionally strong sentiment in favour of greater autonomy from London. The creation of ‘No. 10 North’ could be one of the first significant steps of his potential premiership.