UK government opens No10 North to drive devolution and regional growth

Traders Union
All News
Business & Wealth
UK opens No10 North for growth

Highlights

No10 North opens in Manchester as a new economic decision-making hub, with the Prime Minister and ministers expected to work from the site weekly.
The revived National Economic Council will convene in Manchester on Friday, including regional mayors, ministers, and partners to develop unified growth policy.
Key cost-of-living measures include removing VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October (saving £45 per household), a £2 bus fare cap in January 2027, and a 20% business rates cut for hospitality venues from April 2027.

Manchester hub for economic decision-making

As reported by GOV.UK, citing the UK government, No10 North is opening in Manchester city centre as a new situation room for growth, bringing local economic growth, devolution strategy and local growth policy under one roof for the first time.

The Prime Minister is expected to work from the site each week, while other ministers are also due to use it regularly. The government says this is meant to ensure decisions on the country’s economic future are no longer made exclusively in Westminster.

Burnham is set to chair the first meeting of the revived National Economic Council there on Friday, bringing together senior ministers and regional mayors. The council was first established in 2008 as part of the response to an economic emergency, and its return is being framed as a sign that the government sees growth delivery as requiring the same urgency and coordination.

Regional mayors are due to sit alongside ministers at the table, with business leaders, trade unions and other partners attending depending on the issues being discussed. The government says the model is designed to replace competing plans across departments and local authorities with a single approach.

Devolution push tied to cost-of-living measures

Burnham says No10 North will help move power out of Westminster and into local communities, arguing that decades of centralisation have left too many areas overlooked. First Secretary of State Louise Haigh and Chancellor John Healey also describe the move as a significant transfer of power in favour of local areas.

Ahead of the National Economic Council meeting, the Prime Minister is due to speak with business groups including the Federation of Small Business, the CBI and the BCC on ways to unlock growth, investment and jobs. The government links the Manchester launch to its wider economic agenda, including recent measures on household bills, transport costs and support for hospitality and entertainment venues.

Those measures include removing VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October, which the government says will save a typical household about 45 pounds a year. It also says the 2 pound cap on bus fares in England will begin in January 2027, while a 20% cut in business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England will take effect from April 2027, on top of existing relief.

Our earlier coverage of Andy Burnham’s cabinet reshuffle outlined how his new administration is being shaped by a Labour power realignment, bringing several figures previously sidelined under Keir Starmer back into senior roles. We noted that appointments such as Louise Haigh as First Secretary and John Healey as Chancellor signalled a consolidation of Burnham’s inner circle, while also carrying risks of fresh internal divisions as his government sets its economic direction.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.