What is ‘No10 North’ and where will it be? Andy Burnham’s plan explained

ANDY Burnham is set to rewrite the rulebook of British politics by bringing Downing Street to the North. The new Prime Minister has promised to launch “No10 North”, a new hub designed to take decision-making out of Westminster and hand it back to local communities. Andy Burnham is planning a No10 of the North Credit: Reuters But what actually is this new Northern powerhouse, where is it going, and will it make a real difference to your everyday life? Where will No10 North be? The long-term plan is to house No10 North at the brand-new Manchester Digital Campus. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Thank you! This cutting-edge civil service hub is currently being built on a former brownfield site (previously a Toys ‘R’ Us retail park) off Great Ancoats Street, New Islington. The existing No10 at Downing Street was first used as a Prime Minister’s residence 300 years ago. Read more on Andy Burnham The new, northern version will be a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art office building – think glass walls, open-plan workspaces, and high-tech digital infrastructure. Because the Prime Minister and high-ranking cabinet officials will be working there, the site will require heavy government-grade security. The campus will have purpose-built, secure perimeters, restricted access, and specialised communications systems to handle top-secret intelligence, ensuring Burnham and his staff can work safely. While the permanent campus is not expected to be fully completed until 2028, it will eventually home up to 8,800 civil servants. Most read in The Sun But Burnham wants No10 North up and running from day one of his premiership. Because the Ancoats site isn’t yet ready, his team is currently hunting for an interim city-centre base to be announced “in due course”. Rumours are already swirling that the temporary office could be set up in Heron House, which already houses GCHQ’s Manchester outpost. How will it work? Burnham has made it clear he has no intention of fully packing his bags for London. He plans to continue living in Greater Manchester, and will spend at least one day a week working directly from No10 North. The rest of his week will be split between London and regional visits. When Burnham is down south holding the fort in Whitehall, the Northern headquarters won’t just sit empty. It’ll be run day-to-day by a team expected to be lead by Caroline Simpson, the current Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). She will oversee a new Devolution Department, also based in Manchester, to ensure regional policies are driven by people who actually live there. What will No10 North mean for the North? For decades, Northern voters have felt ignored by a London-centric Westminster bubble. Burnham says No10 North will be the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain,” aiming to fix this divide. He insists it’s about real power, not just a fancy new logo, and has set out three key priorities for the Manchester hub: Public Ownership: Pushing to bring essential utilities like water, energy, and housing back into public hands. Re-industrialisation: Rebuilding the North’s manufacturing and green-energy sectors. Regeneration: Pouring investment into left-behind towns and fixing broken transport links. He said: “Our plans will move decision-making out of Whitehall and into cities like Manchester, to ensure national policy is informed by local expertise.” But critics argue that having two competing No10s will lead to turf wars between London and Manchester. Others worry that other Northern regions – like Yorkshire or the North East – might feel left out of a “Manchester-centric” government. Comment now