British Prime Minister Andy Burnham began working from a new northern headquarters in Manchester on Wednesday, declaring that the era of Whitehall resisting devolution is "over for good". The office, dubbed "No. 10 North" and located at Heron House near Albert Square, will operate alongside Downing Street under a unified Prime Minister's department led by Louise Haigh.
Burnham said power and resources had been "sucked into the centre" for 40 years and signalled a restructuring of UK economic governance. He revived the National Economic Council, a body originally established by Gordon Brown during the 2008 financial crisis, and said regional mayors would take a leading role in economic policy decisions.
Burnham is scheduled to chair the first meeting of the National Economic Council on Thursday, bringing together senior ministers and regional mayors to shape the government's economic agenda.