Key facts
- Andy Burnham is set to become Prime Minister and plans to divide his time between Downing Street and Greater Manchester.
- Burnham intends to establish a "No 10 North" unit as part of a devolution agenda to redistribute power and resources.
- Labour MPs in southern seats fear their constituencies may be overlooked due to Burnham's focus on the North.
- Some MPs argue that prioritizing Manchester over other northern cities could alienate voters.
- Burnham's plan would make him the first Prime Minister since Harold Wilson not to live full-time in Downing Street.
Andy Burnham is poised to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with plans to divide his time between Downing Street and Greater Manchester. This proposed "No 10 North" unit is part of his broader agenda to rebalance power and resources across the UK. However, the plan has already unsettled some Labour MPs, particularly those representing southern constituencies, who fear their areas could be neglected.
Burnham's intention to not make Downing Street his primary residence would mark a significant departure from tradition, with the last Prime Minister to spend substantial time away from London being Lord Salisbury at the end of the 19th century. MPs from southern seats are concerned that a focus on the North might lead to their interests being "sidelined," potentially impacting electoral outcomes. They argue that "swapping London-centrism for Manchesterism won't help win back the voters we've lost in the South East."
Concerns have also been raised by MPs representing northern seats, who believe that focusing too heavily on Manchester might overlook other significant northern cities like Leeds, Newcastle, Durham, Birmingham, and Sheffield. The broader devolution agenda, which relies on metro mayors, also faces challenges in areas of England that do not have such regional governance structures or are resistant to them.