How Much?
How much is No 10 north costing the taxpayer…and is it actually worth it?
When Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, one of the first things he did was roll out No10 North. Something that had long been rumoured and will now run from Heron House in Manchester.
In the official press release on the government website it is described as being “the government`s new situation room for growth”. But really, whether the governing party has fulfilled its duty with success or failure, they have found 10 Downing Street an acceptable location for ALL government business. So why must the taxpayer fund another madcap scheme thought up late at night, seemingly pushed through in haste and of benefit to no one besides Andy Burnham.
The press released from the Government published on July 23rd.
One reason could be that, should the country go to a snap general election, then Mr. Burnham can at least tell voters that he did what he said he would while he was PM: further devolution and a new government base in the North. But, presenting the illusion of progress versus actually getting on with the job are two different things and in the end it will be up to us to decide how successful our new leader has been.
On X Burnham wrote that Britain needs “...more power in the hands of people and places that know their communities best.” On July 24th Conservative MP Andrew Snowden posted the job advertisements from the cabinet office for the media team on X and criticised the government opening of No10 North as a “government funded Instagram account for Burnham”.
One of the pages of Job advertisements published to X by Andrew Snowden MP
The combined salary in Burnham`s new media team featured above and in an additional advertisement comes to a cost of £340,000 at least every year.
One could argue that through establishing No10 North Burnham has seen the creation of further jobs in Manchester and London which in turn would funnel back into the economy. And although I`m sure that the people joining this team will of course be excited to get stuck into `government business`, do we really need our prime minister to have his own social media entourage?
One of his latest social media clips (posted on August 18th) last a mere 45 seconds and is of course designed to perfectly fit in with your `quick` Instagram or TikTok scroll. The tool Burnham is taking advantage of in creating these bite-sized clips is the very thing Meta is now on trial for. It is also the very thing the Labour government has so often criticised, the dangers of social media, particularly for young people, one of their key voter demographics.
In the video a toy red bus is seized by Burnham who then holds it up to us “more local buses are coming under public control” he says. Burnham`s behind a wooden desk, presumably in his new HQ, speaking into the camera, newsreader style. What he`s announcing will be one of many more measures to be used in a bid to end privatisation and return us again to the old Labour idea of Nationalisation. Hooray.
All in all he`s serious but he hasn`t lost his northern charm. To be honest it works, completely, and it gives you a warmer feel watching him than you felt from his predecessor. But that rosy glow can only last for so long and summer recess is almost over.
Can Burnham survive against Kemi Badenoch long enough to make it to his first Labour Party conference as leader?
On July 20th when Andy Burham became our latest Prime Minister, Kemi Badenoch wrote to him to wish him “every success”. She didn`t stop there, instead she first made it clear that she would hold him to account at every step and “never shirk from doing so”, before also lambasting Ed Miliband and his damaging policies on net zero, dubbing him a “one man deindustrialisation machine”.
Clearly Burnham had already read the room on Miliband`s position as overseer of Net Zero as he was swiftly moved to the foreign office by the end of that same day…I`m not sure Kemi can take credit for that though.
