Andy's angels of the North: Senior ministers - including Angela Rayner - to work from No 10 North
Lucy Powell, Angela Rayner and Louise Haigh are reportedly set to work regularly from No 10 North.
A slew of senior ministers and aides close to new Prime Minister are set to work regularly from No 10 North.
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Andy Burnham has pledged to devolve more decision-making out of London and into the regions, including by creating a "second Downing Street" based in the North.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Louise Haigh, who is overseeing No 10 North in her role as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, are reportedly planning to work from the Manchester hub.
The new branch will initially be based at Heron House in the city centre and later in the government's 'Digital Campus' once completed in 2032.
The former Manchester Mayor aims to base himself at the site at least one day a week and is expected to start work there for the first time in the coming days. He is seeking to establish the hub as “the dominant driver of the UK’s economy".
A spokesperson for the PM previously said the running of No 10 North will be covered by existing Cabinet Office budgets and that there will be no additional cost to taxpayers.
A brownfield site on Great Ancoats Street has been earmarked to become the Digital Campus.
A blueprint for No 10 North was produced by the think tank Re:State which recommends a workforce of as many as 300 staff within 18 months.
A mission statement for the site from Re:State's report reads: "No 10 North exists to strengthen the executive core of Governmentas it pursues an agenda of spreading power, resources, anddecisions to subnational governments and economies."
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “Staff are already working in the new No 10 North. This includes staff from Manchester and those who have come in from around the country.
“It is based at existing UK Government offices in Central Manchester and you can expect more updates in due course.”
The official also said: “The running of No 10 North will be covered by existing Cabinet Office budgets. There is no additional cost to taxpayers.”
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On the question of relocation packages for London-based personnel to move there, he said it is “standard practice” for employers to support staff required to relocate.
The spokesman said numbers would be detailed in due course, adding: “We already have around 80,000 civil servants based in the North West of England, with around 700 roles moved from London to Manchester” last year.
Mr Burnham “expects to work from No 10 North at least one day a week,” his spokesman said, while caveating that his diary could change depending on the business of Government.
Mr Burnham, who served as a minister and on the Opposition frontbench before becoming a regional mayor in 2017, swept to victory in the Makerfield by-election earlier this month, triggering Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister as former allies broke ranks to fall behind his leadership bid.