Ancoats, a Manchester neighborhood once famous for textiles and a nightclub called Sankeys, is now poised to become the unlikely epicenter of British governance. The site of a former retail park - home to Toys R Us, Argos, and JD Sports - has been earmarked for the new No. 10 North, as part of prime minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham's plan to shift parts of Whitehall to the Manchester Digital Campus. The campus will eventually house about 8,800 civil servants from multiple departments, all without significant extra cost to the Treasury, supposedly.

Ancoats, once derelict, is now one of Manchester's trendiest suburbs, packed with restaurants and bars around the city's only serviced marina. Property prices have soared and are expected to climb further once the government moves in - because nothing says 'hip' like a giant government office complex. The development isn't due for completion until 2032, so Burnham's team is reportedly scouting interim office space, eyeing Heron House, currently occupied by GCHQ, which has no plans to leave. Awkward.

Burnham, newly elected MP for Makerfield, says he'll split his working week between Manchester and London. Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, approved the idea, citing the Treasury's Darlington Economic Campus as a model. Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership cheered the plan, arguing that Whitehall has let an 'economic chasm' open between London and other cities. But Dai Davies, former head of royal protection, warned that a 'Number 10A' would need 24/7 protection, underground detection, safe rooms, and armored cars - costing taxpayers millions. He also questioned how Burnham would commute: a four-hour drive on a good day, or rail travel that would require blocking off seats for security, minders, and 'spads.' Rail expert Tony Miles called the idea 'worthy' but likely to annoy passengers - and voters.

A snap poll by 38 Degrees and JL Partners found broad support for moving power away from Westminster. A female Labour voter in Exeter said Londoners need to realize other cities exist. A Reform UK voter in Scunthorpe liked the idea because not everyone lives in London. A male Labour voter in Stroud thought it would stop people feeling left behind. But doubts lingered: a Labour voter in Leeds wondered how it would work, and one in Edinburgh said it's a good idea but won't work. In Ancoats, however, the plan is warmly welcomed. Green councillor Hussayn Salem said it's a genuine devolution if decisions are made locally. Barber Sanger Ismail hopes Burnham might pop in for a trim. And Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Northwood asked if the undeveloped second half of the site could be a public rose garden. Because nothing says 'government decentralization' like roses.