The historical setting of Downing Street or the grandeur of the Chequers country estate could soon be set aside for more workmanlike surroundings for overseas dignitaries visiting the UK.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s decision to create a “Number 10 North” will open up the possibility of ministers finding themselves in Manchester.
Downing Street told The National that “there’s no reason why Number 10 North wouldn't host” foreign leaders as part of Mr Burnham’s efforts to devolve power from London.
With Mr Burnham expected to spend significant time in Manchester, where he was mayor until entering parliament this summer, the prospect of hosting foreign leaders away from the constraints of Whitehall is to become a reality.
“It is an operational branch office of Number 10, so the biggest question is: would anything be happening there that would be of interest to foreign dignitaries? And in general terms, yes so that will definitely be in the mix,” the Downing Street spokesman said. “It could well be that there are things that happen there in the future.”
John Slinger, a Labour MP and government trade envoy, said Number 10 North was a “bold move” as Britain was one of the most centralised states in the world.
“If this can get foreign investors to think about UK regions, cities and the towns rather than just London, then that's a massive win,” he said. “There are major opportunities here for foreign dignitaries and investors to visit particularly from the Gulf.”
Industrial heartlands
There are also political, economic and diplomatic advantages in bringing presidents, prime ministers and senior ministers to northern England.
The move would demonstrate that Britain's industrial heartlands are again central to its future prosperity outside the more formal backdrops of Buckingham Palace or Westminster.
“This is going to be about telling people there are more decision makers in the country that you can meet rather than just sitting in an office in Whitehall,” said Emma Burnell, editor of the Labour List publication.
“Local mayors will know local business leaders and be able to convene meetings for overseas visitors far better than somebody in London.”
She added that it could also lead to Britain getting more foreign investment in many different places, “from Sunderland to Penzance”.
World city
Manchester being a “major world city” with a “huge cultural footprint across the world” meant that it would prove to be a place that could host foreign dignitaries, said Luke Raikes, deputy general secretary of the Fabian Society, the Labour-linked think tank.
While the details of making it a northern diplomatic centre were being considered, he argued that it was “very capable of welcoming foreign dignitaries” as it had done with China’s leader Xi Jinping in 2015.
“It would effectively show foreign leaders what has been done recently in Greater Manchester to pull that city up from what was even 20 years ago still quite a struggling city to a place showing all the signs of accelerating development with lots of very tall buildings, money going in and happy people,” he said.
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Heron House in Albert Square, Manchester, which will be the interim base of the British government's so-called Number 10 of the North. Getty Images -
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrives to open No 10 North at Heron House. Getty Images -
Recently built skyscrapers tower over a modernised Manchester. Getty Images -
The Murrays' Mills development in Ancoats, Manchester. Photo: Manchester Life -
Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City FC, with the Ancoats and Islington neighbourhoods in the background, all in the recently developed East Manchester. Getty Images -
The Aviva Studios arts venue, home of Factory International, after it opened in 2023. Getty Images -
The soaring towers of the Deansgate Square apartment buildings in 2022. Getty Images -
An aerial view of Old Trafford, home of Manchester United FC, all lit up in 2022. The club are considering building a new 100,000-seat stadium. Getty Images -
Police evacuate the Arndale Centre in 2017 after an explosion at Manchester Arena. Getty Images -
The new BBC Media City studios take shape as construction work at Salford Quays progresses in 2009. Getty Images -
Urbis Exhibition Centre on Deansgate, central Manchester, in 2008. It is now the home of the National Football Museum. Getty Images -
Developments in Manchester city centre in 1972. Getty Images -
The assembly line where Lancaster bombers were constructed, in Manchester, 1943. Getty Images -
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during an inspection of air-raid damage in Manchester, during the Blitz of the Second World War, 1941. Getty Images -
A group of boys playing football in the street in Salford in 1938. Who needs goalposts when you could paint them on the wall? Getty Images -
The Manchester Ship Canal in 1935. It opened in 1894, connecting the city to the Irish Sea. Getty Images
He also noted the strong Middle East connections, including major investment from Abu Dhabi.
Manchester, he argued, would also provide a gateway to other cities in northern England such as Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle, with a combined population of 16 million.
This could also remove investment from the strictures of the London-based Treasury which, Ms Burnell argued, had proved a drag on regional investment.
Middle East money
With Abu Dhabi investing heavily in Manchester for more than a decade, it is likely that a high-level visit to the north from the UAE will occur, diplomatic sources have said.
Manchester's airport has also expanded significantly and now has six Etihad Airways direct departures to and from Abu Dhabi and the same number of Emirates flights to Dubai.
The UAE has used billions from its sovereign wealth fund to plough into the development of what was formerly the industrial wasteland of east Manchester.
Hosting ministers and investment delegations in Manchester rather than London could also lead to more investment from sovereign wealth funds, including those from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which have growing interests in advanced manufacturing, AI, life sciences and property.
Sources also suggest that Number 10 North could become a venue for discreet diplomacy, with the potential for more relaxed discussions that in the ceremonial environment of Whitehall.
However, Downing Street will not see its role replaced as the seat of British government, hosting state visits from leaders around the world.
