• •Andy Burnham, current Mayor of Greater Manchester, has selected Caroline Simpson as his deputy chief of staff to lead the 'No 10 North' initiative.
• •Simpson, the current CEO of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, has a long-standing collaborative history with Burnham in regional governance.
• •The appointment is contingent on Burnham assuming a new role under a future government administration, the specifics of which remain unconfirmed.
• •It is unclear how much budgetary and policy authority 'No 10 North' will actually possess compared to the existing Whitehall-centric power structure.

Andy Burnham has selected Caroline Simpson to lead 'No 10 North,' a proposed office intended to facilitate the devolution of power from London to the regions. Simpson, who serves as the chief executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, has worked alongside Burnham for years to refine regional transport and housing strategies. The move signals a shift toward local expertise, though the structural independence of the new office remains speculative until the broader scope of regional devolution is formally outlined by central government. Whether this initiative successfully redirects decision-making or remains a symbolic link depends on the specific legal powers transferred in upcoming legislative sessions.