Whitehall officials offered move to No 10 North in Manchester

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Whitehall officials offered move to No 10 North in ManchesterImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Construction of the Digital Campus in Manchester will not be completed before 2032ByJudith Moritz, Special correspondent and Daniel Wittenberg, senior producerPublished23 minutes agoCivil servants based in central London have been offered relocation packages to encourage them to move to the North of England, the understands. A new branch of Downing Street - known as No 10 North - is already up and running, according to a source close to new PM Andy Burnham. The initial location will be Heron House in central Manchester, in the same building which houses offices for the intelligence service GCHQ.

Specialist police officers have been seen guarding the building. It is likely that the longer term base for No 10 North will be at a new government "Digital Campus" which is under construction in the Ancoats area of Manchester. It is not due for completion until 2032.

The Details

Few details about the new branch of Downing Street have been officially confirmed. However, a good indication of what it could look like comes from a new report, released on Tuesday. The blueprint has been authored, external by the Re:State think tank which Burnham was involved with until he stepped down as mayor of Greater Manchester.

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In total, the report suggests around 300 staff should be employed within 18 months. It proposes transferring teams from Whitehall departments, including the Treasury, Cabinet Office, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – all of which are now being led by secretaries of state from the North of England. Whitehall officials willing to move to Manchester have been told they will be offered relocation packages, the understands.

What Experts Say

It's also likely there will be a significant movement of staff from Andy Burnham's former mayoral team at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). The has been told that at least three senior figures are understood to have agreed to work at No 10 North. Some GMCA staff expressed surprise at only finding out their colleagues would be moving after seeing them on TV greeting the new prime minister in Downing Street.

The Re:State blueprint also suggests that there should be a secretary of state responsible for No 10 North, supported by a junior minister based there, although nothing has yet been announced by Burnham. Formal details of some of the changes are expected to be revealed later, in the House of Lords, and as government appointments continue to be made.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.