Prime Minister Andy Burnham has opened a new satellite office in Manchester, dubbed 'Number 10 in the North', but the move has been met with sharp criticism from commentators who label it a gimmick. In an opinion piece for Express, Giles Sheldrick argues that the office, located in the New Islington area of Manchester, is a vanity project that does little to address the needs of struggling northern towns.
Burnham's promises and the cost
During his first week in office, Burnham announced a series of measures: ending rough sleeping, cutting VAT from domestic energy bills, reducing business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues, and capping bus fares. These pledges come with an estimated cost of £1.5 billion to taxpayers.
Working from home in Manchester
On Friday, Burnham worked from his branch office in Manchester. He described the satellite office as creating "a sense of a more balanced country" and allowing "big things to be done from here". The Liverpool-born, Everton-supporting Prime Minister, who entered office without winning a general election, called it the "best day of my life". Defending his decision, he said it was better to have "a north pole that balances the south pole. At least it creates that sense of a more balanced country, and that big things can be done from here".
Criticism of neglect in other northern areas
Sheldrick points out that many northern towns are in desperate need of investment. Barnsley, where over a fifth of neighbourhoods are among the most deprived in the country, lost Labour control of the council in May after 50 years. Labour council leader Sir Stephen Houghton, who held his seat by just 23 votes, said he was "absolutely gutted" and called for Labour to "wake up and deal with the problems in left-behind communities now". He added, "We need to bring them back to life and restore faith in those communities."
In Wakefield, Labour's councillor count dropped from 57 to just one. In Wigan, held by Labour since 1918, Reform UK won 24 of 25 seats. Sheldrick asks why the office could not have been set up in places like Blackpool, Middlesbrough, Kingston upon Hull, Darlington or Scunthorpe, and also questions the neglect of Devon, Cornwall and Wales.
A gimmick for show
The office is adorned with nods to Burnham's northern roots, including a gold disc of The Queen Is Dead. Critics argue that the satellite office is a gimmick, especially when issues like illegal immigration and the cost of living dominate public concern. Sheldrick concludes that the public wants real solutions, not "ego-stroking vanity projects".
