Andy Burnham to lead UK growth from No 10 North in major power shift
Andy Burnham has set out plans for the new "No 10 North" office in Manchester to take charge of driving UK economic growth, shifting that responsibility away from the Treasury as part of a wider effort to disperse power out of Whitehall. Speaking to The Times, the prime minister said the Treasury would continue to oversee public finances while his Manchester outpost led on growth, arguing that combining the two roles had previously clouded the growth agenda. He said chancellor John Healey fully supported the change, describing it as part of a "huge transfer of power".
The No 10 North office, based at Heron House in Manchester, is already operational and officials say it will not cost taxpayers extra money, with Burnham expected to work there roughly once a week. He also reflected on his premiership so far, acknowledging a "bumpy" start over the early release of prisoners, but said justice secretary Alex Norris would unveil a "much better solution" on 1 September following pressure over the planned release of two of Pc Andrew Harper's killers. Burnham added that the sheer scale and relentlessness of the job had been the biggest adjustment, and rejected the idea that being "tough" or unpopular was the point of politics, saying the goal should be to make people's lives better.
- No 10 North in Manchester to take over economic growth from Treasury
- Chancellor John Healey backs the "huge transfer of power"
- Burnham promises better prisoner-release policy from 1 September
New here? Start with this
The Treasury is the government department responsible for public money, including taxes, spending and borrowing. Economic growth means an increase in the goods and services a country produces, which can affect jobs, wages and public revenues.
The prime minister is setting up a “No 10 North” office in Manchester, with Andy Burnham expected to work there about once a week. The plan gives that office responsibility for leading the government’s growth efforts, while the Treasury continues to oversee public finances; chancellor John Healey is reported to support the change.
The move is part of a wider attempt to shift some decision-making from Whitehall, the centre of government in London, to other parts of the country. How the new office works may affect where growth policies are shaped and how responsibilities are shared across government.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates for this restructuring argue that concentrating growth strategy separately from Treasury oversight permits more focused attention on economic expansion without fiscal constraints that hamper long-term development thinking. They contend that regional expertise from a Manchester base better positions government to understand growth drivers across the country, representing genuine devolution that strengthens democratic representation and tailors policy accordingly.
The case against
Critics contend that separating growth strategy from fiscal management risks creating incoherence in economic policy, since growth targets and public finances are fundamentally interdependent and require coordinated oversight. They argue this arrangement undermines accountability by fragmenting responsibility, risks wasting resources through duplication, and substitutes the Treasury's institutional expertise with an untested parallel structure, raising questions about practical impact.