WorldBritish Prime Minister Andy Burnham will on Friday open a new government base in Manchester dubbed "No. 10 North" in a nod to his 10 Downing Street office in London, as he seeks to shift ‌economic decision-making away from the capital.Former mayor wants some government functions devolved across U.K.Thomson Reuters · Posted: Jul 24, 2026 7:57 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks to staff members during a visit to officially open No. 10 North in Manchester, northwest England, on Friday. (James Speakman/AFP/Getty Images)British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will on Friday open a new government base in Manchester dubbed "No. 10 North" in a nod to his 10 Downing Street office in London, as he seeks to shift ‌economic decision-making away from the capital.Burnham, who became prime minister on Monday after succeeding Keir Starmer, is moving quickly to put his stamp on government, with the new base in northern ​England intended to signal a shift away from what ​he said was decades of economic decision-making centred in London.No. 10 North ⁠will initially operate from Heron House in central Manchester, a city-centre office ⁠building ⁠that houses Britain's intelligence, cyber and ​security agency's northern hub. Plans for a new campus of government buildings elsewhere in the city are in the works, but will take years to complete.Burnham is expected to work from the Manchester site ​each week, while other ministers ⁠will also regularly use the office, the government has said. The city of nearly 600,000, known for its football clubs and former "Madchester" music scene, is some 300 kilometres northwest of London.It's not clear how much the move will cost in additional security. British media outlets this week reported that an unspecified number of civil servants who work out of the Whitehall government offices in London were being offered relocation packages."Britain doesn't need more decisions made in Whitehall," Burnham said in a social media post on Friday. "It needs more power in the hands of people and places that know their communities best. That's exactly what No. 10 North will deliver."As British police officers stood guard on Friday, a bride and bridesmaids arrived at wedding registrar office adjacent to and in the same building as No. 10 North, Heron House in Manchester. (Getty Images)Opposition Leader Kemi ​Badenoch of the Conservative Party has questioned whether Burnham's focus translates to national government, saying he was "behaving like he's still the ⁠mayor of Manchester" and needed to focus on broader national challenges. Other political rivals have questioned the costs of the move, at a time when public finances are pinched.Burnham has cast his premiership as a "circuit-breaker" from the politics of recent years. The move to open an office in Manchester reflects the former mayor's long-standing argument that power should be devolved ⁠from Westminster to cities ‌and regions. WATCH | The forces behind Burnham's unexpected rise:How Andy Burnham went from Manchester mayor to U.K. PMJuly 16|Duration 5:40Andy Burnham is set to become U.K. prime minister following Keir Starmer’s resignation. For The National, CBC’s Chris Brown breaks down how the former Greater Manchester mayor won over voters and asks: is it enough to fix a fractured Britain?Burnham on Friday was set to chair the first ⁠meeting of a revived ⁠National Economic Council, a cabinet-level ‌body bringing together senior ministers and regional mayors to co-ordinate the government's economic growth strategy.The council was first established in London during the 2008 financial crisis by Gordon Brown, the then prime minister, ⁠to co-ordinate the government's response to the economic downturn.Burnham's political past includes serving as an MP in the Labour government of Brown and his predecessor, Tony Blair.LISTEN | Zoë Grünewald, freelance journalist based in London (June 23):Front Burner25:46Is the U.K. ungovernable?With files from CBC News