UK Prime Minister opens No. 10 North hub in Manchester

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has opened a new northern government hub in Manchester, declaring an end to the centralization of power in Westminster and Whitehall. The Prime Minister will work from the facility, known as No. 10 North, on a weekly basis, beginning with his first official day there on Friday, July 24, 2026.

The opening of the hub at Heron House in central Manchester marks a significant shift in the government's operational structure, intended to embed regional decision-making at the heart of economic policy. Burnham stated that for 40 years, power and resources had been concentrated in London, leaving many communities feeling forgotten. He described No. 10 North as a "situation room" designed to get power out of Westminster and into local hands across the entire country.

The Prime Minister's first major engagement at the new base will be to chair a meeting of the revived National Economic Council, a cabinet committee first established in 2008 to coordinate responses to economic challenges. The meeting will include senior ministers and regional mayors, such as North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, who had previously urged the government to grant local leaders greater...