From 1h agoBurnham defends cost of opening No 10 NorthAndy Burnham has defended the cost of opening No 10 North in Manchester, telling “London-based” critics that it’s better to have “a north pole that balances the south pole”.Speaking to staff at the new centre, he said: “At least it creates that sense of a more balanced country, and that big things can be done from here.”Prime minister Andy Burnham officially opens No 10 North at Heron House in Manchester. Photograph: James Speakman/ReutersHeron House is temporarily accommodating No 10 North while a brownfield site just outside the city is being developed, where it is expected to relocate permanently once construction is complete.As my colleagues Hannah Al-Othman and Priya Bharadia reported earlier this month, any “No 10” buildings “could be constructed without significant cost above that already signed off by the Treasury”.On other costs, they wrote:
double quotation markDai Davies, a former head of royal protection and a former divisional commander in the Metropolitan police, dubbed Burnham’s Manchester base as “Number 10A”.
“Number 10A will have to be strengthened,” he said, “and, of course, there’ll have to be a 24-hour-7 protection. So it’s going to cost us taxpayers millions in terms of technical security, surveillance, cameras.
