Crowds gathered outside Heron House in Manchester, the new No10 North, to welcome Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Tom Drinkwater, a 36-year-old senior video editor from Didsbury, said: “Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher… and Andy Burnham.” Waiting in the crowd, he added: “Burnham is a Mancunian legend. He’s been a brilliant mayor for Manchester. The rest of the country is lucky to have him now too.”
Central Location
Heron House is in the heart of Manchester, with entrances onto Albert and Lincoln squares. It is a 12-minute walk from the site of the Hacienda club, where Burnham danced in his youth. The building also houses GCHQ and is one of the most bomb-proof places in the country, with state-of-the-art security built into its glass walls. Reportedly, only 25% of it is built above ground.
Inside, it resembles a coffee shop in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, with plywood panelling and grey sofas. At Christmas, the city’s giant Santa will overlook the building from atop the nearby town hall.
Local Reactions
Dr Andrew Chimenya, a senior lecturer at the University of Greater Manchester, said: “You couldn’t get more central. It’s an exciting space to occupy. It’s in the hubbub, shops close by, cafes and bars even closer. Those of us who grew up with Andy in the North West are so excited, and happy to have him here. This is not about one city, or region, but about the whole country.”
Jack Leonard, a politics student from Denton, said: “If he can bring power back to the North and share it around the country it can only be a good thing. It’s an exciting moment for the North.”
Symbolic Change
The crowd outside Heron House resembled groupies waiting for a rock star. Nearby, a Slug and Lettuce was busy with happy hour cocktails, and a Greggs is just steps away. Local teenager Iris Burkitt said: “It’s impressive that someone from the north is finally in power.”
Teacher Rosa Ahern added: “For a very long time, everyone has been talking about issues in the country - why everyone is so angry and why everyone feels left behind. Part of the reason is that everything happens in London. If you want to symbolically and realistically change people's attitude towards the government, you have to make some sort of move to bring it away from London. That is what is happening here.”
