Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has launched a stinging attack on plans by Prime Minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham to establish a 'Number 10 North' office in Manchester. During a visit to Torbay, Sir Ed warned that the proposed secondary branch of the Prime Minister's Office, intended as the "nerve centre of a rewired Britain," risked leaving rural communities behind.
Davey's Warning: A New Power Bubble
Sir Ed argued that Mr Burnham's approach would see vast swathes of the UK, including the South West, the North East, Wales, and Scotland, left out in the cold. "Avanti Andy needs to realise Britain doesn't start at Euston and terminate at Manchester Piccadilly," he said, referencing the rail line connecting London with the North West.
"Shifting the physical location of the Prime Minister's office does nothing to fix the inequalities facing many coastal and rural areas, and instead may create a new bubble of power that actually pushes the government even further away from communities like those in the South West," Sir Ed added.
Visit to Torbay: Ice Cream and Politics
Sir Ed joined Torbay's Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling at Goodrington Sands to discuss the implications of Andy Burnham's anticipated rise to Prime Minister, expected as early as July 17. The pair enjoyed ice cream and a paddle in the sea before turning their attention to the Burnham proposals.
"Shifting an outpost of Downing Street to Manchester isn't true devolution," Sir Ed declared. "For people in Torbay and across the South West, it simply shunts power even further down the line. From the Devon coast to Swansea's streets and Shetland's shores, people are utterly fed up with being overlooked."
Risk of Overlooking Deprived Communities
Sir Ed warned that deprived communities in areas such as Torbay risked being sidelined as the government's attention shifted northwards, despite some parts of the bay ranking among the most deprived in the entire UK. "I think there's a huge danger that those pockets of poverty you see in places not only in Torbay, but also in many, many places around the country are overlooked," he said.
"If power goes up to mayoral candidates who are covering a much bigger area, they don't really understand local communities. That's why we've always been advocating empowering local communities who do know their areas, do know where the problems are, and do know where the poverty is."
Darling Echoes Concerns: 'Moving It to Manchester Is Bonkers'
Mr Darling echoed his party leader's concerns regarding the potential pitfalls of relocating the second 'Number 10' office to Manchester. "I really encourage the idea of getting government from Whitehall into the regions, but moving it to Manchester is bonkers," he said. "It is actually moving it by train two hours further away from Torbay.
"We need our region to be taken seriously. We've got issues in respect of connections to the rest of the country. It is not just a North-South divide, it is equally a South East-South West divide as well."
