'Mindset shift' needed within government on No10 North, says deputy
Duncan Parish, deputy director of the UK's 'Number 10 North' office, has called for a mindset shift within the civil service to overcome institutional friction. The office, established by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, aims to decentralize power and improve regional outcomes in areas like health and education.
Why it matters
This reflects ongoing tensions in UK governance regarding the effectiveness of regional offices versus traditional Whitehall centralization.
Image source, AFP/Getty Images Image caption, Prime Minister Andy Burnham opened Number 10 North in July
A "mindset shift" is needed across the UK's central government to help Number 10 North deliver its objectives, its deputy director has said.
Duncan Parish told a conference in Lincolnshire on Wednesday there were "institutional challenges" within government that needed to be overcome to deliver change.
The Manchester office of Number 10 North - sister to London's Downing Street - was set up by Prime Minister Andy Burnham in July.
Burnham's political opponents have called the office a "gimmick" and raised transparency concerns about the costs involved.
Speaking to the Great Exhibition conference of local political and business leaders, Parish said his career in the civil service to date had "not been without its frustrations" and there can be "friction" between different parts of government which have "similar but ever so slightly competing objectives".
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