UK prime minister to work weekly from planned Manchester office

Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham will spend at least one day a week working from No. 10 North as part of a plan to move some government operations from London to Manchester, his spokesperson said Tuesday.

Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, took office on Monday. He has made the transfer of power from London to other regions a central part of his agenda. Under the plan, some jobs will move from Whitehall, the centre of government in London, to the northern office, whose name refers to the prime minister's residence at 10 Downing Street.

The Manchester office is initially expected to be based in Heron House, which the BBC reported also hosts offices of the GCHQ intelligence service. It will be overseen by Louise Haigh, a close Burnham ally who was appointed on Monday as cabinet office minister and first secretary of state.

Burnham's spokesperson said the plan was not a gimmick and was intended to change a system that had left many people feeling disconnected from political decision-making. The spokesperson said some staff were already working from No. 10 North, but did not say how many.

The BBC and the Manchester Evening News reported that civil servants were being offered relocation packages to move to the northern offices. Experts warned that devolution would take time and require changes beyond office locations, including changes to the financial system and regional powers.

Many people in Manchester and nearby areas have welcomed the symbolism of the move and Burnham's rise to power. The region is part of Britain's former industrial heartland and has suffered economic decline. Joel McCulloch, a 22-year-old Manchester-based student, said Monday that it was long overdue for a northerner to have real political influence in government.

The source item said the UK's last six prime ministers were from and represented parts of London or the more affluent southeast. Burnham has often cited his northern background to present himself as a man of the people and a political outsider.