Politics · 10 July 2026
Ed Davey warns 'Avanti Andy' Burnham over London-Manchester power bubble
Richard Townshend (Wikimedia, CC-BY-3.0) | Jon Clempner (Wikimedia, CC-BY-SA-4.0)
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has criticised Andy Burnham's proposal to establish a "No 10 North" in Manchester, arguing it risks overlooking communities outside major cities. Sir Ed, while visiting Torbay in Devon, stated that Burnham's devolution proposals could push the government further away from areas like the South West. Burnham, who is expected to be the next Prime Minister, intends the Manchester outpost to be a "nerve centre" for reindustrialisation and regeneration.
Reported by Independent · How we write briefs