Here be dragons: does moving power to the north work?

<p>Andy Burnham’s recent promise to create a ‘No 10 North’ echoes BBC’s successful Out of London plan</p><p>When the BBC first announced its <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/behindtheheadlines/salford">intention to move</a> a significant chunk of its operation to Salford in Greater Manchester – the “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/12_december/07/plans.shtml">Out of London</a>” plan, as the then director general Mark Thompson called it in 2004, with a faint “here be dragons” whiff – there were plenty in the organisation who were scornful that it could ever work.</p><p>Senior staff would never leave the capital. Star talent wouldn’t dream of travelling. It “didn’t take a brain surgeon”, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/09/27/bbc-breakfast-host-chris-salford_n_982820.html">said the Breakfast presenter</a> and Strictly Come Dancing winner Chris Hollins, to see that the prime minister would never appear in person.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/19/here-be-dragons-does-moving-power-to-the-north-work">Continue reading...</a>