Burnham Launches No 10 North, First PM to Govern Regularly From Outside London

On July 24, 2026, PM Andy Burnham chaired the inaugural National Economic Council meeting at No 10 North in Manchester's Heron House — making him the first sitting PM to regularly govern from outside London. The NEC, first created by Gordon Brown during the 2008 financial crisis, now convenes senior ministers and regional mayors to shift economic decision-making beyond the capital. Burnham plans to work from the office weekly.