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

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