Andy Burnham Deploys 100 Whitehall Officials to Regional Mayors

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will deploy more than 100 Whitehall officials to support regional mayors across England in an effort to stimulate economic growth. The initiative, announced following a meeting at his No 10 North office, establishes a pilot program where five to 10 civil servants will be seconded to 18 mayoral authorities for less than a year.

The program includes an expansion of the future leaders scheme for local officials and a new civil service fast stream pilot specifically for Yorkshire and Humber. This move responds to requests from mayors for increased capacity and talent to drive local growth, specifically avoiding the restrictive oversight typically applied to officials sent to struggling local authorities.

Deputy Prime Minister Louise Haigh described the initiative as a generational shift of power away from Westminster. Chancellor John Healey characterized the strategy as a dual mission shared between the Treasury and No 10 North, emphasizing a determination to see growth in every postcode.