AIBU to wonder how a government can be based in Manchester?

[dottiedodah]

Andy Burnham is proposing to govern from Manchester when he starts on July 20th.How can this be so ? Surely all previous governments have been based in London?

@blushroses6 can’t believe that northerners accuse the government of being London centric because there’s also poverty in other southern counties outside London.

How does that prove that the government isn’t London centric?

And even less live in Manchester
It isn’t even in the top 5 by population size.

London 9 million people
Manchester 470,000

Also nearly twice the number of people live in the south of England than in the north of England

Surely that depends on exactly what is considered north v south? Or in the Midlands?
(I’ll get my coat)

Usually, the House of Commons only sits for 32 weeks in a year and is in recess for 20 weeks. No.10 could easily move to Manchester for much of this 20 weeks when the Commons is not sitting. Approx 300 people are employed at No.10. The Cabinet Office employs another 5000 and I doubt these would need to go.

PS. The EU parliament sits in Strasbourg for 12x3.5day sessions each year. The constant transfers from Brussels costs around €150 million every year

It is factual to point out that the UK, and I quote "is hypercentralised". Unquote. Only Japan is similar.

Monarchy, government, government departments, finance, stock market - all in one city.

It is a quirk of being an island where one settlement consistently attracted the ruling elites, from the Iceni to the Romans, Saxons & Normans. The Union was only ever going to be centralised in one city. It was inevitable. But can be changed.

Take a gander at the internet or go to a library & verify for yourself.