Andy Burnham, a member of Parliament seen as the leading contender to become Britain's next prime minister, is pushing a plan to move part of the functions of the prime minister's office from London to the northern city of Manchester, the Financial Times (FT) reported on the 24th local time. It is a symbolic step to decentralize power concentrated in London to the regions. It is viewed as the first attempt in British history to systematically disperse the prime minister's office across the country.
According to the FT, Burnham is likely to take office as prime minister next month and is set to unveil his devolution blueprint on the 30th. The core idea is to transfer some functions of 10 Downing Street, the prime minister's office, to Manchester to create what he calls a "10 Downing Street of the North."
A person familiar with Burnham's thinking told the FT, "Burnham has a big vision for devolution, and as part of that he is pursuing a plan to place a prime minister's office in the North." Burnham's team avoided mentioning specific plans but said it would "announce devolution policy at an appropriate time."
In Britain, attempts to move part of the prime minister's office functions outside London are hard to find a precedent for. That is because 10 Downing Street, which houses the prime minister's office and residence, has long been seen as the symbol of the British executive and the center of power.
Burnham has reportedly told those around him that even if he becomes prime minister, he intends to spend a significant amount of time in Manchester. The partial transfer of the prime minister's office is also seen as an extension of this political philosophy. Burnham has long criticized the limits of London-centric politics. In 2017, he left national politics and was elected mayor of Greater Manchester, then won two subsequent terms. During his tenure, he pushed transportation reforms, urban development, and policies to revitalize the regional economy, establishing himself as one of Britain's leading local politicians.
The FT assessed that this blueprint places more emphasis on devolving powers than on transferring the office itself. Burnham is pursuing ways to ease Britain's strong centralized structure by handing over vocational training and some authority over taxes to local governments.
There is also skepticism. If the prime minister conducts business physically separated from government departments in London, inefficiencies could arise in coordinating ministries and overseeing state affairs. Similar ideas have been pursued in the past but did not materialize. Under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a plan to transfer some prime minister's office staff to the North was considered but not carried out, and his proposal to transfer the House of Lords to the northern city of York also fell through.
There are some successes. In 2021, when he was chancellor of the Exchequer, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak created a Treasury economic hub in Darlington in northern England, and more than 2,000 civil servants now work there, a case seen as strengthening interdepartmental collaboration.
The FT said Burnham's plan is rich in symbolism but faces no shortage of practical challenges. A former prime minister's office official said, "10 Downing Street carries a very strong symbolism as the center of Westminster power," adding, "It will not be easy to put this into practice."