Key facts
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham is sending over 100 Whitehall officials to regional mayors.
- The initiative aims to support local growth and decentralize power from Westminster.
- Burnham's strategy emphasizes "good growth in every postcode" through devolution.
- A "Number 10 North" base in Manchester will drive economic development.
- The plan includes expanding social housing and reindustrializing the economy.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to dispatch over 100 Whitehall officials to regional mayoral authorities across England, aiming to bolster local growth initiatives and decentralize power from Westminster. This move is part of Burnham's broader economic strategy, which he describes as fostering "good growth in every postcode" through significant devolution of authority.
The initiative, described as a "situation room" to integrate local and regional leaders into national decision-making, will see civil servants seconded to mayoralties for periods of less than a year. A pilot program will deploy five to 10 officials to each of the 18 participating mayoralties. Additionally, new civil service fast stream pilots and expansions of the future leaders scheme are planned for local authority officials.
Burnham's approach contrasts with previous governments by focusing on structural reform of governance rather than solely on fiscal policy or industrial strategy from the center. His platform emphasizes expanding social housing, reindustrializing the economy, and empowering local communities with greater control over services and infrastructure. The establishment of a "Number 10 North" base in Manchester is central to this strategy, intended to be a "dominant driver of the UK's economy" and potentially shifting power away from the Treasury.
Cabinet ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Louise Haigh, Chancellor John Healey, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, and Housing Minister Sally Jameson, participated in a recent meeting discussing these growth plans with regional mayors. Burnham's allies argue that local leaders are better positioned to identify investment priorities and address regional inequalities, marking a significant transition of power and resources away from Whitehall.