Official Opening of No 10 North in Manchester
Andy Burnham officially opened No 10 North at Heron House in Manchester on 24 July, accompanied by Louise Haigh, minister for the Cabinet Office, and John Healey, chancellor of the exchequer. The event marks a significant step in the government's devolution agenda, aiming to decentralize power from London.
The Structural Paradox of Devolution
In a letter responding to a Guardian editorial, Rabbi Jeff Newman highlighted the structural paradox at the heart of Burnham's devolution agenda: it requires a confident assertion of central power to give real power away. Newman pointed to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista) as an institutional mechanism that helps resolve this paradox. Nista, inherited from Keir Starmer's government, merges the National Infrastructure Commission and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority into a single body reporting to both the Treasury and the Cabinet Office. With about 250 civil servants, Nista has sat jointly between these departments since April 2025.
Under Starmer, the Cabinet Office side of Nista's dual accountability was relatively weak. However, under Louise Haigh's new Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which the Institute for Government endorsed as implementing long-called-for structural reforms, that balance may shift. Newman argued that Nista becomes the operational expression of the relationship between Haigh and Chancellor John Healey, which is central to whether Burnham's ambitions survive Treasury orthodoxy.
Chancellor John Healey's Background
Newman noted that whether Nista works will depend significantly on Healey. Healey's pre-parliamentary career included years in disability rights and trade union work at Mind and the Trades Union Congress, where he helped design the national minimum wage. This background suggests a chancellor whose instincts may align more naturally with the 'preventive state' agenda than his Brown-era Treasury service implies. Newman drew a parallel to Denis Healey's capitulation to Treasury orthodoxy in 1976, which shaped British politics for 50 years, emphasizing the high stakes of getting this relationship right.
Regional Mayors and Capabilities
David Williams of Hexham, Northumberland, wrote that Burnham's determination to make regional devolution a reality is laudable but depends on the ability, altruism, efficiency, and drive of regional mayors and civic leaders. He questioned how many have the capability that Burnham has shown in Manchester, noting that many people do not know the names or strengths of these leaders. Williams called for profiles of these key regional ambassadors to ensure proper implementation of devolution policy.
Beyond Manchester: True Decentralization
Tom Carr of Newcastle upon Tyne expressed concern that the new prime minister identifies Manchester as 'the north,' ignoring that the north of England is much more than the Manchester conurbation. He argued that replacing a single-centre approach with a double-centre one will not achieve the aim of improving every postcode in the country. Carr emphasized that true devolution must extend beyond Manchester to all regions.
