Andy Burnham has declared that 'the days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over' as he prepares to spend his first day working at No 10 North. The Prime Minister will 'throw open the doors' to the newly-formed branch of Downing Street, based in Manchester, on Friday (July 24), his office said.
He will spend the end of his first working week in office at the new hub, where he will chair the first meeting of the revived National Economic Council.
No 10 North Hub
Currently operating from Heron House, facing Albert Square in Manchester city centre, Downing Street says No 10 North will 'he levers of local economic growth and devolution together under one roof for the first time' and act as a 'new situation room for growth.' Mr Burnham will spend time there each week, with other ministers working from there 'on a regular basis.'
According to the BBC, Education Secretary Lucy Powell, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, and Louise Haigh, who is overseeing No 10 North in her role as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, are planning to work there. At least seven former Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) employees, including four senior managers, have been recruited by Mr Burnham and are already moving into the offices. Civil servants in Whitehall have also reportedly been offered incentives to move from London to work there.
Devolution and Economic Growth
Downing Street said the new hub means 'decisions about the country's economic future will no longer exclusively be made in Westminster.' Mr Burnham said: 'For 40 years, power and resources have been sucked into the centre, and too many communities have felt forgotten, without the attention and investment they deserve. No 10 North will change that by putting more power into every postcode across the entire country. It will be the situation room for making Britain better - the place we use to get power out of Westminster, into the hands of people at a local level, so that they can turn things around. The days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over, for good.'
Speaking earlier at The Hare pub in Harlow, Essex, Mr Burnham said: 'Tomorrow, we’ll be meeting in Manchester in No 10 North. And whole purpose of No 10 North is to put more power into every postcode in the land, including the postcodes of Harlow.'
National Economic Council Revived
Ms Haigh said: 'Today marks a fundamental re-balancing of where power sits in our country. No10 North has been set up to drive economic growth in every postcode and put power in the hands of every community. Through this department, this Government will ensure that the places overlooked by Westminster for decades are given a real voice. No.10 North is open for business.'
The meeting comes off the back of a series of interventions made to ease the cost of living and back local high streets, setting the tone for the PM’s cost-of-living government. The National Economic Council, which brings together senior ministers and regional mayors, was first established during the economic crash of 2008. Its revival, Downing Street said, 'reflects the Prime Minister's belief that delivering economic growth now requires the same level of urgency, focus and collective action, bringing together other government departments and local leaders.'
