The UK’s likely next prime minister pledged to redistribute political clout across the country, setting up a “No. 10 North” in Manchester.
In a major policy speech outlining his goals, former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham on Monday promised “the biggest change in our lifetimes to the way the country is run,” leading to a “rewired Britain.”
The idea of decentralizing fiscal power away from London is an unusual one for an incoming leader, but economists argue the UK has been held back by the concentration of economic activity in the capital.
Burnham argues Greater Manchester, which has been granted more power in the last decade and achieved greater growth, is a case study in how devolution can work.
