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Andy Burnham opens new No. 10 North office in Manchester to rebalance UK power

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Andy Burnham opened the new No. 10 North office in Manchester, aiming to rebalance power away from London.
  • The office will host the National Economic Council, bringing together ministers and mayors to shift economic decision-making.
  • The government emphasizes accelerating devolution, driving growth, and removing regeneration barriers across the UK.

Andy Burnham will hold his first meeting in the newly established No. 10 North office in Manchester, a new branch of Downing Street intended to enact "the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen," according to the prime minister.

the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen

— Prime MinisterDescribing the significance of the new No. 10 North office.

This inaugural meeting will be of the National Economic Council (NEC), a cabinet committee originally formed in 2008 by Gordon Brown. The NEC aims to bring senior ministers and regional mayors together to decentralize economic decision-making from London.

Burnham, writing for The Guardian, stated that No. 10 North's purpose is to "take power down and place it in the hands of people who can use it best." He added that the office will accelerate devolution, drive reindustrialization and growth across the UK, and remove obstacles to regeneration, from housing to public transport. The long-term goal is to achieve equivalent living standards throughout all UK regions.

It is about taking power down and placing it in the hands of people who can use it best.

— Andy BurnhamExplaining the core mission of No. 10 North.

Based in Heron House in central Manchester, Burnham is expected to work from No. 10 North weekly, bringing him closer to his constituents. Other ministers from the North West, including Angela Rayner and Lucy Powell, will also utilize the office. However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the prime minister, suggesting he focus on national challenges rather than governing like a mayor.

No 10 North will be responsible for accelerating devolution. It will drive reindustrialisation and growth across every postcode of the UK. It will remove barriers to regeneration, from council housebuilding to public transport infrastructure. Crucially, No 10 North will bring the whole of Whitehall together behind places rather than standing in their way. Our long-term ambition is clear: to achieve equivalent living standards across all the regions and nations of the UK.

— Andy BurnhamDetailing the specific objectives and ambitions for No. 10 North.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner commented that the new administration is on "borrowed time" to improve the country, acknowledging the public's frustration over the cost of living. She noted that recent announcements, such as a cap on bus fares and a VAT cut on electricity bills, indicate the prime minister understands these concerns.

We’re on borrowed time if we don’t get a move on and I think Andy acknowledged that.

— Angela RaynerCommenting on the urgency for the new administration to deliver results.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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