This is foreseen in the government’s plan to move some work from London to Manchester.
On Monday, former Greater Manchester Mayor A. Burnham, who took office as Prime Minister, made the devolution of powers from London to other regions one of the main highlights of his agenda.
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Implementing this plan, he will move some jobs from Whitehall – government offices in London – to ‘Northern Number 10’, named after the address of the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street in London.
It is planned that initially the northern administrative unit will be located in Manchester’s ‘Heron House’ building, which also houses the offices of the intelligence agency GCHQ, broadcaster BBC reported.
The unit will be led by A. Burnham’s close ally Louise Haigh, who was appointed Minister and First Secretary of State on Monday.
“The Prime Minister said this is not a trick,” A. Burnham’s spokesperson told reporters on Tuesday about ‘Northern Number 10’. “This is about reforming a system that has made too many people feel disconnected from political decision-making.”
The spokesperson said that some staff are already working from ‘Northern Number 10’, but did not specify how many.
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BBC and the regional daily ‘Manchester Evening News’ reported that relocation packages are being offered to civil servants to encourage them to move to the northern offices.
Experts warn that devolution will take time and not just a reorganization of government offices – it will also require a restructuring of the country’s financial system and regional powers.
However, many in and around Manchester – part of the UK’s former industrial heartland, hit by economic decline – welcomed even the symbolism of this move and A. Burnham’s appointment to power.
Joel McCulloch, a 22-year-old student living in Manchester, told AFP news agency on Monday that it was long overdue for a “northerner to have a real political voice” in government.
The last six UK prime ministers have come from London or the wealthier southeastern regions of the country, while A. Burnham often draws on his northern roots to present himself as an ordinary person and a political outsider.
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