Burnham brings a 'No. 10' to Manchester to kickstart English 'devolution'

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham launched a new northern office in Manchester on Friday, signaling a bid to decentralize power from London and foster economic growth across England. The office, named 'No. 10 North,' is intended to serve as a hub where national governance meets the rest of the country, moving away from the traditional concentration of power in London's Whitehall district.

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It's not just a new office. This is the place where Whitehall meets the rest of the country.

Burnham, who previously served as the mayor of Greater Manchester, highlighted the city-region's economic success as a model for other areas. He plans to work from the Manchester office at least once a week, countering criticism that the initiative is a mere gimmick. "It creates that sense of a more balanced country and that big things can be done from here," Burnham stated, emphasizing the goal of a more equitable distribution of national influence.

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It creates that sense of a more balanced country and that big things can be done from here.

However, devolution experts remain unconvinced about the potential for genuine change. Academic and policy adviser Alan Trench suggested that 'de-concentration' often amounts to little more than relocating public sector jobs, without a significant transfer of actual power. He noted that England, despite some regional mayoral bodies, remains one of Europe's most centralized nations, lacking devolved law-making authority.

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De-concentration' is something done in even very centralised states and in itself doesn't signify any transfer of power. At most, it transfers public sector jobs and the lives and incomes of those who hold them.

University of Glasgow professor Nicola McEwen described English devolution as "very asymmetric," often perceived by London as an issue relevant only to "somewhere else." While acknowledging that giving No. 10 North a strategic role is "positive," she cautioned that success hinges on Whitehall's willingness to cooperate. Politics professor Michael Keating found it "deeply ironic" that the solution to centralization involves creating a central government department to dictate resource allocation, contrasting it with "real" devolution where authorities are allowed autonomy.

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Nowhere in England has any devolved law-making power.