No. 10 Opens a Northern Headquarters

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has officially opened ‘No. 10 North’, a No. 10 headquarters based in Manchester. 

No.10 North is located at Heron House in the city centre, and the prime minister says he plans to work from there one day per week. In his opening speech, he also said: "I think this might be the best day of my life.”

Accompanying him was chancellor John Healey and overseer of the Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet Louise Haige. Three tasks were set out for No. 10 North to accomplish: increase public ownership of essential utilities, reindustrialize swathes of the country and regenerate towns. 

Reactions from other parties have been lukewarm over this decision, with leader of the Conservatives Kemi Badenoch criticizing Burnham’s ambitions as being "too small", and Lib Dem MP Calum Miller saying that No 10 North must be "more than just a convenient Friday working from home base for him".

However, John Healey said: “Never before has a government been so serious about passion on its own power from Westminster in favour of local areas… This is the way we signal real change.”

Written by Jorja Flitcroft