ANDY BURNHAM is officially taking the keys to Number 10 — but don’t expect him to pack up and leave the North behind for good.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester, newly elected as Labour leader, is about to become the UK’s next Prime Minister.
Burnham has built his entire political brand on fighting the ‘Westminster bubble’ and championing the regions Credit: Alamy
But in a historic first, he is refusing to relocate to London full-time.
Instead, the man dubbed the “King of the North” plans to split his time between the capital and his home turf.
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Where will Andy Burnham live?
Andy Burnham will have access to the traditional Prime Minister’s flat at 10 Downing Street.
But unlike his predecessors, he will not be making it his sole home, and is keeping his family home in Greater Manchester.
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He has built his entire political brand on fighting the “Westminster bubble” and championing the regions.
To prove he’s serious about spreading power across the UK, he is launching a second official PM office dubbed “No10 North”, right in the heart of Manchester.
This new northern headquarters will eventually be based at a digital campus in Ancoats, Manchester, with a temporary site being used in the meantime.
By keeping his home in the North, Burnham wants to show that the “nerve centre” of British politics doesn’t have to be trapped in London.
How much of his time will he spend in Westminster?
While Burnham is passionate about his northern roots, he can’t abandon London entirely, and the business of government still runs through Parliament.
When the House of Commons is sitting, the PM must be there to lead the government, manage his cabinet, battle opponents at Prime Minister’s Questions, and meet with international leaders.
Because of this, Burnham will spend the majority of his working week, typically Monday to Thursday, in Westminster, staying at Downing Street.
But his team has confirmed he intends to spend at least one day a week working directly from No10 North in Manchester.
What difference will him living in Manchester make?
Supporters argue that splitting his time will keep Burnham grounded.
Instead of being surrounded only by London-centric advisers, he will be working alongside ordinary voters, helping him focus on his key goals of reindustrialisation and public control of utilities.
To make the dual-office system work, he has hired Caroline Simpson, the respected Greater Manchester chief executive, as his Downing Street Deputy Chief of Staff to run the Manchester office.
But opponents have warned that running two competing “Number 10s” could lead to confusion, duplicated work, and political infighting.
There is also the physical toll of travelling 200 miles back and forth every week.
If a national crisis hits while the PM is on a train north of Crewe, the government’s response machine will be put to the test.
