Andy Burnham proposes split residency and new regional unit if he becomes prime minister
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Labour leadership contender Andy Burnham said he would spend part of his week in Manchester and set up a "No 10 North" office to shift powers to English regions.
Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor and newly elected MP for Makerfield, said he would divide his working week between Downing Street and Manchester should he replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister. In his first speech after launching his Labour leadership bid, Burnham announced plans for a new "No 10 North" unit based in Manchester, which he said would "oversee the biggest rebalancing of power our country has ever seen".
The proposed unit would aim to give English regions greater authority over housing, transport and other policy areas, moving decision-making from Whitehall civil servants to local communities and transferring some Treasury functions to the new team. Burnham added that the political direction set by his government would not be open to negotiation.
If the arrangement were adopted, Burnham could become the first prime minister since Harold Wilson to spend most of his time outside the traditional Downing Street residence. Past leaders such as Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have worked from their constituencies, but Burnham's plan would involve a more formal split of his base of operations.
Burnham is currently the sole Labour MP to have announced a leadership bid. Should he remain unopposed, he could assume the premiership as early as 20 July.