UK devolution plan centers on Burnham's proposed No. 10 North shift

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UK devolution No. 10 North plan

Highlights

Andy Burnham proposes a 'No. 10 North' Manchester office to shift civil servants from London and coordinate national-local government for regional economic strategy.
Political opponents criticize the plan, arguing office relocation lacks real reform and highlighting practical challenges as well as previous low-election engagement below 60% turnout.
Implementation faces resistance from civil servants, risks requiring significant public funding, and enters a mixed-history devolution environment with limited UK government fiscal headroom.

Manchester office proposal and policy rationale

As reported by CNBC, Andy Burnham says a new "No. 10 North" operation in Manchester would relocate some civil servants from the prime minister's London office and serve as a hub for coordinating national and local government.

Burnham, who has served as Greater Manchester's mayor since 2017, frames the proposal as part of a wider effort to "rewire" Britain by shifting authority from Whitehall to the regions. He says the office would help redistribute power and resources across the UK, align government bodies behind a long-term economic strategy and support local growth ambitions.

The proposal, however, is drawing criticism from political opponents and former officials. Guto Harri, an adviser to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, says moving officials does not amount to meaningful reform and argues that stronger incentives, innovation support and a more business-friendly environment matter more than changing office locations.

Andrew Rawnsley writes in The Observer that the demands of the premiership make frequent work outside London difficult, pointing to the practical constraints of travel and communications. While former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is thought to have worked from HM Treasury's Darlington office on many Fridays between 2022 and 2024, that arrangement was not publicly emphasized for security reasons.

Devolution record and implementation risks

Burnham's plan also enters a political environment where earlier devolution projects have produced mixed results and limited public enthusiasm. The creation of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh assembly in 1999 is described by critics as falling short, with weaker education and healthcare outcomes cited in parts of the UK and both administrations facing scandals at different times.

Voter engagement also remains a challenge. Turnout in this year's Scottish Parliament and Welsh Parliament elections is just above 50%, below the nearly 60% recorded in the most recent UK parliamentary election in 2024, while elections for police and crime commissioners in England have often struggled to exceed 25%.

Previous efforts to expand regional governance in England have also failed to generate momentum, including the rejection of a proposed North East regional assembly in a 2004 referendum. Burnham's latest proposals are likely to meet resistance from civil servants reluctant to give up influence, and they may require significant public funding at a time when the UK government has limited room to spend.

Our earlier report on Nigel Farage’s decision to resign as MP for Clacton and trigger a by-election explained how he planned to seek re-election while casting the vote as a test of his conduct. It also detailed the ongoing standards scrutiny over a reported £5 million gift and questions about undeclared assistance, noting that procedural outcomes could still escalate and create further political and financial fallout.

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