Britain's new leader shifts power from Downing Street to Manchester with 'No. 10 North'

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Britain has a new hub of power: a bland modern office block about 165 miles (260 kilometers) from the prime minister's official London office and residence at 10 Downing St. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.

The Manchester low-rise is home to "No. 10 North," the flagship of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's pledge to be a different kind of U.K. leader. Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester before vaulting back into national politics, and one of his first acts was to set up a branch office in the city. It's both symbol of and engine for his pledge to give local leaders more powers and spread economic growth around the country.

Burnham calls it "a North Pole that balances the South Pole" of Westminster politics in London. Critics have called it a gimmick.

It's certainly a novelty. While past British leaders have spent weekends in their local constituencies, or at the prime minister's official Chequers country retreat, none in living memory has had a large-scale office.