Regional mayors to take key roles in UK policy decisions as part of No 10 North plans

Lead

On his fourth day as prime minister, Andy Burnham did not stay at Downing Street in London. Nor did he go to Manchester, the home of Number 10 North. He went to Glasgow, where he held his first in-person meetings with Scotland's First Minister John Swinney and Wales' First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth, as reported by Al Jazeera. The talks were meant to demonstrate, in Burnham's own words, that growth is needed "in every postcode across the whole of the UK." A meeting with Northern Ireland's First and Deputy First Ministers, Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly, is pencilled in for a wider UK tour in August, according to the same report.

Just days after being appointed prime minister, Burnham is testing a proposition that will define his premiership: that the office itself can be partly relocated out of London to Manchester, the city he governed as mayor from 2017 until his return to UK Parliament in the Makerfield by-election last month.

Coverage comparison

The Guardian's coverage has focused on the substance of the devolution plans, including the fiscal powers being handed to regional mayors. According to The Guardian, English regional mayors will be handed a share of income tax receipts from 2028, and will be able to keep a share of business rates totalling tens of millions of pounds by April 2027. These measures will replace existing grants rather than being additional money, but local leaders have said no longer relying on ringfenced Treasury handouts would be transformative.

South China Morning Post reported that Burnham was to open his newly created northern office on Friday, as he bids to launch his flagship move to reverse decades of centralising power over England in London. The report also noted Burnham's repeated vow to put "more power into every postcode" to spur economic growth.

Al Jazeera's coverage highlighted the symbolic aspect of Burnham's early moves, noting that he did not stay at Downing Street on his fourth day as prime minister but instead went to Glasgow to meet with the Scottish and Welsh leaders. The report framed this as Burnham testing a proposition that will define his premiership.

Key claims

According to The Guardian, the plans have been criticised by the Conservatives for being vague, with more details to be released in a white paper and the budget this autumn. Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride said that if faster growing areas get more funding it "could mean those who lose out are precisely those areas which have seen weaker local economies over recent years." The Guardian also reported that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of governing "like he's still the mayor of Manchester," saying he needed to focus on broader national challenges.

No 10 North will be responsible for accelerating devolution, as reported by multiple sources including The Guardian and South China Morning Post. Burnham is expected to work from No 10 North once a week, bringing him closer to his Makerfield constituents and to the community where he grew up, according to The Guardian.

The government is planning to encourage areas without mayoral authorities to form mayoral authorities, as reported by The Guardian. England's directly elected mayors, who control areas spanning three-quarters of the population, would be able to use the revenue generated from business rates and income tax for investment.

The UK remains the most fiscally centralised country in the G7, according to a claim reported by The Guardian. The 2026 English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act expanded mayors' control over transport, planning and housing, according to the same source.

Perspectives

Andy Burnham / Government: The prime minister has described No 10 North as "the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen," according to The Guardian and South China Morning Post. He wrote: "It is about taking power down and placing it in the hands of people who can use it best." He also stated: "Under our plans, more of the taxes raised in a community will stay in that community."

Conservatives: The plans have been criticised by the Conservatives for being vague, according to The Guardian. Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride warned that faster growing areas getting more funding could disadvantage areas with weaker local economies, as reported by The Guardian. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Burnham of governing "like he's still the mayor of Manchester," according to the same outlet.

Local leaders: Oliver Coppard, the Labour mayor of South Yorkshire, welcomed the plans, saying: "It's really important because it gets us out of the death grip of the Treasury and gives us that long-term certainty around income," as quoted by The Guardian.