Move Chancellor and No. 10 North to ‘real north’ in Sunderland not ‘midlands Manchester’

Wearside Lib Dems want Chancellor’s northern base and new ‘No. 10 North’ to come to Sunderland, arguing that Manchester isn’t really in The North.

Lib Dem councillors in Sunderland are urging incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to move his new ‘Number 10 North’ operation as well as the base for his Chancellor of the Exchequer to Wearside.

The comments come after The Telegraph reported today (3 July) that Andy Burnham’s Chancellor of the Exchequer will be expected to spend part of their week working outside of London.

The party says that a new base of operations for the future Chancellor and Prime Minister should come to somewhere in the ‘real’ north instead of Manchester.

Commenting, Lib Dem leader of the opposition on Sunderland City Council Paul Edgeworth said:

“People in the North East are fed up of politicians trying to pretend they are interested in the north of England but failing to realise that the north extends well beyond Manchester or Leeds – both of which many people here consider to be basically the midlands.

“Moving the northern element of No. 10 or No. 11 Downing Street to Sunderland would be transformative for our city and its regeneration, and would give the Government a proper insight into life in the real north instead of metropolitan Manchester!”