MANCHESTER — Regional mayors are to be given a leading role in the UK’s economic policy as Prime Minister Andy Burnham revives the National Economic Council. Burnham will chair the inaugural meeting of the body on Friday, marking a shift in how economic strategy is formulated within the government.

The National Economic Council was first established by Gordon Brown during the 2008 financial crash. Under Brown, the council met twice a week to coordinate economic policy and included figures such as Alistair Darling and Peter Mandelson. Its influence waned after 18 months, and the body effectively dissolved after the 2010 election.

Burnham served as Mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years, from 2017 to 2024. During that tenure, he pioneered the 'Manchesterism' approach to economic policy, which emphasized devolution and public-private partnerships. He became Leader of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2026.

The inaugural meeting of the National Economic Council will bring together senior ministers and regional mayors. The council’s attendees will change at each meeting depending on the issues under consideration. This flexible structure aims to address specific regional challenges as they arise rather than maintaining a fixed roster of participants.

"When I entered Downing Street, I told staff that the era of fighting devolution is over. No one in government loses when power is shared," Burnham said. He stated that the long-term ambition is clear: to achieve equivalent living standards across all the regions and nations of the UK.

The revived council operates in conjunction with No 10 North, which will operate from Heron House in Manchester’s city center. Heron House is the home of GCHQ in the north-west. Burnham said the initiative will remove barriers to regeneration, from council house building to public transport infrastructure. "Crucially, No 10 North will bring the whole of Whitehall together behind places rather than standing in their way," he added.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell and Communities Secretary Angela Rayner hold Greater Manchester seats. Their presence in the cabinet aligns with the government's focus on regional representation. Dave Penman is the general secretary of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants. Sam Lister is a senior civil servant who has worked across several departments.

The revival of the National Economic Council signals a structural change in UK governance, moving away from centralized Whitehall control. Previous iterations of the council faced criticism for prioritizing central authority over regional input, with departments such as skills and employment resisting devolution requests from mayors. Burnham’s approach seeks to correct this by integrating regional leaders directly into economic decision-making processes.

The establishment of No 10 North in Manchester mirrors earlier attempts to decentralize civil service roles, such as the 2010-2015 coalition’s efforts. Those previous attempts faced logistical and political resistance. By locating part of the prime minister’s operational infrastructure in Manchester, the government aims to embed regional perspectives into the core of economic policy formulation.