A Cabinet minister has defended spending £50,000 of taxpayers' money to fit out Number 10 North, including a fake Downing Street door and a cardboard cut-out of Larry the cat.
Pat McFadden insisted the £1,000 replica of the famous 10 Downing Street door was needed to show people they are "still part of the heart of decision-making in the UK" despite being in Manchester.
The Work and Pensions Secretary told Times Radio yesterday: "It's a part of the design of the building which is intended to signal to people that, even though they're in Manchester, they're still part of No 10, still part of the heart of decision-making in the UK. As you know every visitor to this country, every foreign prime minister, every person who comes to Number 10 for any reason, always wants their picture taken at the door, I've seen this myself in politics over many years."
Breakdown of the £50,000 spending
The fake door will not face the street and will instead be inside No 10 North, which has been set up by new PM Andy Burnham, alongside the cardboard Larry.
The £50,000 spent on No 10 North includes £10,000 on branding, £6,000 on event equipment, lighting and flagpoles, as well as almost £1,000 on "sundries" from Amazon.
The Cabinet Office released figures in response to a Freedom of Information request from the Reason website.
Campaigners criticise the spending
William Yarwood, campaigns director at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers will roll their eyes at ministers insisting this vanity project costs nothing because it comes from 'existing budgets'.
"Branding offices, shipping replica doors and moving meeting chairs to Manchester is still public money, no matter which departmental pot it comes from.
"No 10 North already looks like another gimmick dressed up as reform, and taxpayers should not be forced to fund the government's political stage sets."
Mr Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, is expected to work at No 10 North, which is set up in Heron House, every week.
Government defends the project
A government spokesperson said: "No 10 North will drive growth in every postcode of the country, for example by working with Mayors and local government to spend more of the money raised in their areas.
"The costs for setting up and running No 10 North are covered by existing Cabinet Office budgets, with no additional cost to the taxpayer."
