Revealed: Mandarin who runs No10 North lives in £2.2million townhouse in trendy Islington, commutes by train to Manchester and stays in luxury hotel with 23rd floor bar and a pool
A senior civil servant who heads No10 North, the Prime Minister's office outpost in Manchester, has been revealed to live in a £2.2 million townhouse in Islington, north London, rather than being based near the northern hub they oversee. The disclosure highlights the arrangements of Whitehall officials tasked with running government functions outside London, and raises questions about the practicalities and optics of senior mandarins overseeing regional initiatives while remaining rooted in the capital.
The official reportedly commutes by train between London and Manchester to carry out the role, and stays in a luxury hotel while there, one boasting a 23rd-floor bar and a swimming pool. The property in Islington, a fashionable and expensive part of the capital, is valued at £2.2 million, underscoring the gap between the official's personal circumstances and the northern communities the No10 North initiative is intended to serve.
In short
- No10 North chief lives in £2.2m Islington townhouse, not Manchester
- Official commutes by train to Manchester for the role
- Stays in luxury hotel with 23rd-floor bar and pool
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The concern that a senior official heading a northern regional initiative should be genuinely based in that region has substance. If the head of No10 North maintains an expensive London townhouse and commutes part-time whilst staying in luxury hotels, it suggests detachment from the communities the initiative serves. This raises legitimate questions about whether the effort reflects sincere commitment to northern priorities or perpetuates London-centric governance, particularly where public trust in levelling-up initiatives is fragile.
The case against
Civil service practice typically sees senior officials maintain London residences whilst deployed to various roles nationally. A mandarin in this position probably requires regular access to central government functions, ministerial meetings, and Cabinet office work necessitating a London base. Requiring complete household relocation and disruption to family life would be impractical and inequitable. Train travel and hotel accommodation for someone managing dual-location responsibilities constitute standard business expenses, rendering this a conventional arrangement rather than evidence of negligence or extravagance.
Explained simply
No10 North is a Manchester outpost of the Prime Minister’s office, part of a wider effort to carry out some government work outside London. It is overseen by a senior civil servant, a non-party official responsible for helping government departments put policy into practice.
The arrangement raises questions about how officials can lead work in a region while living elsewhere, including how often they need to be there and how travel and accommodation are organised. It also reflects a broader debate about whether moving government work beyond London changes where decisions are made and how closely officials engage with local communities.