The doors to Number 10 North were opening for the first time on Friday, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham due in Manchester to chair meetings.
The PM said Whitehall resistance to devolution is 'over for good' ahead of the historic moment. Mr Burnham is expected to work from the site in Manchester once each week during his premiership. On Friday, he will chair a meeting of the National Economic Council, a Cabinet committee first launched in 2008 to respond to economic challenges.
Details of the Opening
No 10 North is housed at Heron House, near Manchester’s Albert Square, a building which is also home to GCHQ’s Manchester and North West hub. The panel’s attendees will vary according to No 10 North meeting agendas and could include business leaders and trade unions, the Government said.
Burnham's Statement
“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,” Mr Burnham said. “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.”
