Andy Burnham, the man almost certain to become the next prime minister, has promised to create a new Downing Street team based in Manchester – dubbed ‘No 10 North’ – that he says will “oversee the biggest rebalancing of power our country has ever seen”. In his first major speech since being elected as the MP for Makerfield, Burnham outlined a vision to redistribute power away from Whitehall and towards local communities, pledging to “drive good growth in every postcode”.
At its simplest, No 10 North is a proposed satellite office of the Prime Minister’s operation, located in Manchester rather than London. Burnham says it would act as the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain”, tasked with overseeing devolution of power and resources across the UK. The plan forms the centrepiece of his bid to replace Sir Keir Starmer, after he became the only Labour MP to declare his candidacy for the leadership. If no rival emerges, he could become prime minister as early as 20 July.
“Explains Andy Burnham's 'No 10 North' devolution plan and its implications for UK readers.”
Burnham’s argument is that the Westminster system is “broken” and that a “more of the same” approach has failed to improve living standards or restore public trust. He points to his eight years as mayor of Greater Manchester as evidence that local leaders can deliver change when given control over key services. His No 10 North would have three core tasks: to increase public ownership of essential utilities such as water, energy and housing; to reindustrialise swathes of the country; and to regenerate towns that have been left behind. He also promised the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period, and hinted at early cost-of-living support once in Downing Street.
The background to this proposal is decades of centralisation in the UK, where most tax-raising and spending decisions are made by the Treasury and Whitehall departments. Devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has existed since the late 1990s, but England remains highly centralised. Combined authorities and metro mayors – like Burnham’s own – were created from 2014 onwards, but their powers remain limited. Burnham argues that “growth cannot be ordered from the top down – it can only be nurtured from the bottom up”, and that regions should have more control over transport, energy, housing and skills.
For UK readers, the plan matters because it could fundamentally change how public services are run and where economic growth happens. If implemented, communities outside London and the South East could gain more say over local buses, housing development, and even energy companies. Burnham specifically said that regions would see “greater public control of essential services”, and that London could have more say over education and housing. However, critics have raised concerns. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Burnham backs devolution because he “doesn’t know what to do so he wants to pass the problem to someone else”. Former Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has called for a “Moscow test” – arguing that defence and national security must remain strong priorities, regardless of where power is moved.
Q: What exactly is No 10 North? No 10 North is a proposed new Downing Street base in Manchester, intended to oversee the devolution of power and resources from Whitehall to local areas. Burnham says it will be the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain” and will coordinate three priority areas: public ownership of utilities, reindustrialisation, and regeneration.
Q: How would devolution under Burnham work? Burnham plans to extend devolution to new areas and give existing combined authorities more powers over transport, housing, energy and skills. He would also create a “No 10 North” unit to drive this agenda, with the aim of ensuring “good growth in every postcode”. The details of which powers would be devolved have not been fully spelled out, but he has mentioned greater public control of water and energy services.
Q: When could Burnham become prime minister and what happens next? Burnham is the only declared Labour candidate to replace Sir Keir Starmer. If he remains unopposed, he could become prime minister on 20 July. Before then, the government must publish its long-awaited Defence Investment Plan ahead of the Nato summit in Turkey on 7 July. Defence spending has become a point of contention, with the Defence Secretary and Armed Forces Minister resigning over insufficient funding.
What happens next depends on whether any other Labour MP challenges Burnham for the leadership. If no challenger emerges, he will take office in late July and begin implementing his agenda. Key early tests include the Defence Investment Plan, which must balance his devolution ambitions with commitments to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035. Meanwhile, negotiations over how to fund his plans – including the cost-of-living support he hinted at – will be closely watched.