Overview
- On Friday, July 24 Prime Minister Andy Burnham officially opened No 10 North at Heron House in Manchester, chaired a revived National Economic Council meeting there, and said he will work from the site at least one day a week.
- A ministerial statement moved devolution and local growth policy functions into a restructured Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet overseen by Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo, putting administrative responsibility for the programme in a Manchester-based arm of central government.
- Early staffing changes include at least seven hires from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and reported relocation incentives for Whitehall civil servants, with Heron House designated as an interim HQ and a permanent Manchester Digital Campus planned for completion by 2032.
- Independent experts and commentators warn the changes so far amount to 'de‑concentration' because fiscal powers and control over Treasury spending have not been transferred and detailed delivery plans and costings remain incomplete.
- The move is meant to signal a rebalancing of power and boost regional growth but its political and economic impact will depend on whether the government publishes concrete funding arrangements, legal transfers of fiscal authority, and a named chancellor to reassure markets and local leaders.