Andy Burnham has promised “the biggest rebalancing of power” the country has seen, as he laid out plans for a new “No 10 North” in Manchester – but the speech has triggered a waiting game from a former minister who refuses to rule out a leadership challenge.
Addressing supporters in Manchester on 29 June, the prime minister-in-waiting – on course to enter Downing Street in three weeks – said his government would create a political “nerve centre” in the north of England, shifting power away from Whitehall. Yet even as he pledged “growth in every postcode, and hope in every heart”, his vision was hedged with caution: Burnham insisted he would not take risks with the public finances.
“Andy Burnham pledges 'biggest rebalancing of power' with No 10 North; Carns awaits speech before deciding on leadership bid.”
The northern base will be built on a brownfield site in Ancoats, on the edge of Manchester city centre, but it is not due to be completed before 2028, according to the Manchester Evening News. The site, formally signed off by the Treasury in March, is expected to bring together about 8,800 civil servants across two buildings providing 900,000 sq ft of workspace. In the meantime, Burnham’s team is understood to be looking for an interim office in the city.
The announcement came just hours after Al Carns, the former defence minister who resigned over the defence budget, told BBC Politics Midlands that Burnham’s economics speech would help him decide whether to challenge the Labour leadership favourite. “We need to see a vision, we need to see the plan because unfortunately a vision without a plan is a dream,” said the Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak. “What I would like to see is where do we want to be by 2029 and where do we want to be by 2034-35.”
Carns, who said defence was one of the “key factors” he would be looking for, added: “Let’s see how that lands, let’s see how much that pulls everybody together.” He also ruled out targeting welfare spending to fund defence, saying “I just don’t agree with that premise”.
To enter any leadership contest, Carns would need the nominations of 81 Labour MPs and further endorsements from affiliates. Other leading figures, including Wes Streeting and Darren Jones, have already decided not to run against Burnham as momentum builds behind the former Greater Manchester Mayor.
Carns’ caution highlights the tension within a party that has largely united behind Burnham, who has called the Westminster system “broken”. The move to devolve power has been welcomed by northern leaders: Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said it “will help ensure that the relocation of civil servants to places such as Darlington, York and Manchester delivers its full potential”. But with the No 10 North site years from completion, the interim arrangements – and the contents of Burnham’s economics speech – will determine whether Carns makes his move.