British Prime Minister opens 'No10 North' to shift economic power from London

LONDON — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will open a new government base in Manchester on Friday, dubbed “No10 North” as a reference to his 10 Downing Street office in London, as he pushes to move economic decision-making away from the capital.

Burnham, who became prime minister on Monday after succeeding Keir Starmer, is moving quickly to establish his leadership style, with the new base in northern England intended to represent a shift from decades of economic decisions being concentrated in London.

The former Greater Manchester mayor will use the Manchester office to chair the first meeting of a revived National Economic Council, a cabinet-level group that will bring together senior ministers and regional mayors to coordinate the government’s economic growth plans.

The council was originally created in London during the 2008 financial crisis by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown to coordinate the government’s response to the economic downturn.

Burnham described the new office as a “situation room for making Britain better,” saying it would help move power away from Westminster and place more decision-making authority in the hands of local communities.

“The days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over, for good,” Burnham said.

However, opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch questioned whether Burnham’s approach would translate effectively to national government, saying he was “behaving like he’s still the mayor of Manchester” and needed to focus on wider national issues.

No10 North will initially operate from Heron House in central Manchester, a city-centre office building that also houses the northern hub of Britain’s intelligence, cyber and security agency.

The government said Burnham is expected to work from the Manchester site every week, while other ministers will also regularly use the office.

Burnham has described his premiership as a “circuit-breaker” from the politics of recent years. The opening of the Manchester base reflects his long-standing argument that power should be devolved from Westminster to cities and regions across the United Kingdom.

-Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Andrew Heavens/Reuters