On his inaugural day operating from No 10 North in Manchester, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham hailed the establishment of this new government office as a significant stride in decentralizing power from London. Burnham emphasized that this initiative marks “the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen.” Addressing criticisms regarding the office’s expenses, he argued that it is a step toward creating “a more balanced country,” enabling pivotal national decisions to be made beyond the capital.
During a session with the National Economic Council, Burnham expressed the significance of the occasion, calling it “the best day of my life,” though he humorously noted that his wife might have a different view. He assured regional mayors that No 10 North would collaborate closely with local leaders to bolster economic growth nationwide. The prime minister highlighted that the new strategy aims to unify central government and regional authorities, thus sparing local leaders from the complexities of dealing with multiple government departments.
In other political developments, Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner acknowledged the challenges in achieving the government’s target of constructing 1.5 million homes during this Parliament. Nonetheless, she affirmed the target would not be abandoned. Furthermore, Rayner dismissed the idea of implementing rent controls, noting that recent reforms to renters’ rights are already impacting the housing market.
The Scottish National Party (SNP), however, criticized the government’s recently unveiled cost-of-living measures, which include reduced bus fares, lower VAT on electricity bills, and business rate relief for pubs and clubs, as insufficient for supporting households. Meanwhile, ministers indicated that a review of the government’s early prisoner release scheme is anticipated in the coming weeks.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called on Burnham to adopt a tougher stance against US President Donald Trump after the imposition of new tariffs on imports from over 80 countries by the United States. Davey labeled Trump as “a bully and an unreliable ally.” The opening of No 10 North is designed to represent the government’s broader agenda of decentralizing decision-making and encouraging economic development across various regions in the UK.