Andy Burnham is planning to move parts of the Number 10 operation to Manchester as part of efforts to shift power away from London.
The MP for Makerfield will announce next week that he wants to transfer some functions of the prime minister’s office to the north if he becomes prime minister later this year.
This plan, first reported by the Financial Times, will feature in a speech next week outlining how he intends to deliver the radical devolution he has promised.
A spokesperson for Burnham declined to comment.
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The former Greater Manchester mayor will deliver his first major policy speech next week since winning the Makerfield seat.
With Prime Minister Keir Starmer announcing his intention to resign, and former health secretary Wes Streeting confirming he won’t run for the Labour leadership, Burnham is the clear favourite to enter Number 10 as soon as next month.
So far, he has said little about the policies he plans to pursue, though allies say he intends to make devolution a central focus.
The UK has some of the worst regional inequality among developed countries, which Burnham argues is partly because political power is too concentrated in London. He has promised to govern using a “Makerfield test,” where policies are judged by how they would affect his new constituents.
Burnham has previously argued that every area of the UK should have its own devolved arrangement, allowing all regions to elect a mayor if they choose. In a book published two years ago with Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram, he also called for a “basic law” requiring the government to equalise living standards across the country.
However, it’s unclear whether he will follow the advice of one of his economic advisors, former Bank of England economist Andy Haldane, who has suggested splitting the Treasury and creating a new growth ministry in the north.
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Larry guards the doorstep in London. Number 10 is not suitable as the hub of a modern government, successive prime ministers have complained. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA
While 10 Downing Street is arguably the most famous address in the country, successive prime ministers have complained that it’s not fit to be the centre of a modern government. Staff are often crammed into rooms scattered around the 300-year-old townhouse, while much of the government’s work happens around the corner in the Cabinet Office, which is connected to 9 Downing Street by a passageway.
Earlier this year, Number 10 officials were preparing a plan to create a new office of the prime minister, merging aspects of Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, but the plan was dropped after poor local election results for Labour.
The government has had more success moving other departments, however, with nine of them joining forces to open a new “economic campus” in Darlington. Construction began this year on a new five-storey office in the north-eastern town, which will become the permanent base for 1,600 civil servants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about Andy Burnhams proposal to move some No 10 operations to Manchester covering beginner intermediate and advanced angles
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is Andy Burnham proposing
He wants to move some of the Prime Ministers staff and operations out of 10 Downing Street in London and set up a new base in Manchester
2 Why does he want to do this
He believes it will help the government better understand the needs of the North of England spread economic benefits beyond London and show that the government is serious about levelling up the country
3 Would the Prime Minister move to Manchester permanently
No The proposal is to move some of the operations not the Prime Ministers main office or residence The PM would still work from London most of the time
4 Is this definitely happening
No Its a proposal from the Mayor of Greater Manchester It would need the full support of the Prime Minister and the UK government to go ahead
5 What does No 10 operations mean
It refers to the staff and teams who run the daytoday work of the Prime Ministers office people who handle policy communications strategy and coordination
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 How would moving operations to Manchester actually help the North
Supporters say it would mean government decisions are made closer to the people they affect lead to more investment in northern infrastructure and services and create highskilled jobs in the region
7 What are the main arguments against this idea
Critics say it could make government less efficient by splitting the team make it harder for the PM to respond quickly to crises in London and cost a lot of money to set up a new office Some also argue its just a symbolic gesture
8 Has this been tried before
Yes Previous governments have moved some civil service jobs to regions However moving actual No 10 operations is a much bigger and more symbolic step
9 Would this be a permanent change or a pilot
Burnham has framed it as a longterm permanent shift to show a real commitment to decentralisation not just
