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Burnham Launches No10 North, Taps Gen-Z TikTok Activists

7/24/2026

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Summary

Burnham Opens No10

Andy Burnham opened No10 North in Manchester on Friday, a base outside London.
No10 North operates from Heron House, site of GCHQ’s North West hub, and police guard it.
Burnham called it a “situation room” to shift power from Westminster and will chair the revived Economic Council there.
Lucy Powell, Louise Haigh and Secretary Angela Rayner will work there while Kemi Badenoch said the plan is small and urged funding.

Summary

Gen-Z Amplify Burnham

Five Gen-Z Labour activists aged 17 to 19 have amassed millions of TikTok likes promoting the new prime minister.
Andy Burnham invited them to canvass with him and to edit Makerfield by-election footage into memes and nostalgic New Labour clips.
The activists receive no payment, retain full editorial control, and aim to rival the social-media reach of Nigel Farage and the Greens.

History

Historical Context

When the Labour government passed the Regional Development Agencies Act in 1998, nine RDAs were set up across England to drive economic growth, taking over EU fund administration. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition abolished them by March 2012, shifting responsibilities to local enterprise partnerships. Andy Burnham’s 2024 launch of No10 North revives the idea of moving national economic coordination out of Westminster.

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Burnham Opens No10

Andy Burnham opened No10 North in Manchester on Friday, a base outside London.
No10 North operates from Heron House, site of GCHQ’s North West hub, and police guard it.
Burnham called it a “situation room” to shift power from Westminster and will chair the revived Economic Council there.
Lucy Powell, Louise Haigh and Secretary Angela Rayner will work there while Kemi Badenoch said the plan is small and urged funding.

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