Andy Burnham has unveiled plans to establish a regional hub for Downing Street operations in the North of England, aiming to decentralize decision-making from Whitehall. The announcement is expected during a speech on Monday, where Burnham will outline his broader vision for devolution.

Manchester is the likely candidate to host the proposed office, reflecting Burnham’s long-standing connection with the city, where he served as mayor from 2017 until his recent election as the Member of Parliament for Makerfield. His victory in the June by-election prompted the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader.

An insider familiar with the plans described Burnham’s approach as ambitious, saying he has “big plans on devolution and that includes having an office in the North.” The move aligns with Burnham’s wider advocacy for transferring power and resources away from central government and into local communities, a theme he has emphasized repeatedly.

Last month, Burnham called for mayors to receive greater powers as part of what he described as a serious redistribution of authority across Northern England. His co-authored 2024 book, *Head North*, written with Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of Liverpool, serves as a blueprint for a more regionally empowered Britain. The book criticizes the concentration of power in Westminster and proposes reforms including increased regional responsibilities, a revamped parliamentary system, and a shift toward proportional representation.

Burnham supports replacing the current first-past-the-post electoral system with proportional representation—already in use for elections in Wales and Scotland—and has welcomed a recent legal change allowing Manchester’s mayor to be elected through the single transferable vote system, a form of proportional representation. He has also called for abolishing the whipping system in Parliament and advocated the creation of a Senate comprising representatives from the nations and regions of the UK.

Among his wider constitutional proposals, Burnham advocates for a codified constitution and legislation mandating that all policy decisions made in London consider their impact on regional inequalities. At a farewell gathering with his former mayoral staff, Burnham reportedly affirmed his intention to maintain a strong presence in Manchester as prime minister.

A spokesperson for Burnham declined to provide further comment on the plans. There is no indication that any symbolic changes—such as relocating Downing Street’s resident cat, Larry—are being considered as part of the proposed northern expansion.