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.