Regional mayors to take key roles in UK policy decisions as part of No 10 North plans

Regional Mayors to Take Key Roles in UK Policy Decisions

Wanderstayfinder.com – Regional mayors to take key roles in shaping Britain’s economic future, according to Andy Burnham, who hailed the launch of No 10 North as “the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen.” The new prime minister has resurrected the national economic council (NEC), originally established by Gordon Brown during the 2008 financial crisis, arguing that sustained growth demands comparable urgency and collective effort. Writing for the Guardian, Burnham declared: “When I entered Downing Street, I told staff that the era of fighting devolution is over.”

“No one in government loses when power is shared.”

Burnham will chair the NEC’s inaugural meeting on Friday, uniting senior ministers and regional mayors to place devolution at the core of his administration’s agenda. He explained that while Whitehall departments have established regional outposts, actual decision-making authority remains concentrated in London. No 10 North aims to address this imbalance, potentially transforming how Britain operates. The initiative focuses on driving economic growth from the nation’s most powerful office while maintaining close coordination with the Treasury.

Manchester as Britain’s Second Political Hub

As the first British leader to conduct government business weekly from Manchester, Burnham must demonstrate that No 10 North extends beyond symbolic gestures. Earlier this week, he established a strengthened prime minister’s department incorporating elements of the Cabinet Office, Treasury, and housing ministry to serve as the “dominant driver of the UK’s economy”—an arrangement that initially appears to conflict with the Manchester decentralisation plan. In one of his earliest actions, Burnham created the Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, to be directed by his ally Louise Haigh, which will coordinate No 10 North in Manchester, the London operation, and portions of the Cabinet Office.

Haigh, alongside education secretary Lucy Powell and communities secretary Angela Rayner—both representing Greater Manchester constituencies—plan to divide their time between locations. Civil service teams are expected to relocate to Manchester as well. With regional mayors invited to participate in discussions, Downing Street maintains that devolution will become central to economic decision-making, honouring the prime minister’s commitment that choices will be made alongside local leaders rather than merely for them.

“It is about taking power down and placing it in the hands of people who can use it best.”

Operating from Heron House in Manchester’s city centre—the north-west’s GCHQ headquarters—No 10 North seeks to unite local economic growth mechanisms and devolution under one roof for the first time, working from unified strategies instead of competing approaches. Burnham is anticipated to work from the Manchester office each week, ensuring that decisions regarding the country’s economic trajectory will no longer be exclusively determined in Westminster, with additional ministers also conducting regular business from the building.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union representing senior civil servants, welcomed the governmental restructuring but cautioned that staff relocation represents a significant undertaking. At least seven Greater Manchester Combined Authority employees, including Burnham’s deputy chief of staff Caroline Simpson and veteran aide Kevin Lee, are already occupying the temporary facility while a brownfield site undergoes development. The Heron House office will be managed by Sam Lister, a senior civil servant with experience across multiple departments.

The NEC’s membership will vary at each meeting according to topics under discussion, incorporating business leaders, trade unions, and other stakeholders whose expertise can inform decision-making. Under Gordon Brown, the committee convened twice weekly and served as the focal point for efforts to counter recession, financial market turbulence, and price volatility, though some observers worried it might constrain Treasury authority. The revived committee quickly earned comparison to the Cobra emergency committee, featuring prominent figures including then-chancellor Alistair Darling and former business secretary Peter Mandelson, playing a vital role in coordinating emergency banking sector bailouts.

“It will remove barriers to regeneration, from council house building to public transport infrastructure.”

In his article, Burnham positioned the Manchester department as essential to his objective of “driving reindustrialisation and growth across every postcode of the UK.” He continued: “Crucially, No 10 North will bring the whole of Whitehall together behind places rather than standing in their way.” The initiative represents a fundamental shift toward regional empowerment, with regional mayors to take key roles in determining Britain’s economic direction for years to come.