Government needs mindset shift on No10 North, says Parish

Duncan Parish told a conference in Lincolnshire on Wednesday that there were institutional challenges within government that needed to be overcome to deliver meaningful change. The Manchester office of Number 10 North, which serves as a sister office to London's Downing Street, was established by Prime Minister Andy Burnham in July.

Parish, who worked as a civil servant in Whitehall before moving to Manchester four years ago, noted that staff at No10 North were delivering outcomes at a national level across numerous areas including health, transport, education, and social care, but emphasized that continuous work was required to overcome institutional hurdles.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

He stated that working within government departments is too often perceived as difficult or slow. Achieving real change, however, requires everyone to adapt, and a vital part of that transition is a fundamental mindset shift within central government.

Parish stressed the need to focus on the entire country, breaking down operational boundaries and bringing mayoral strategic authorities like Greater Lincolnshire into discussions they were previously excluded from. He advocated for a bottom-up working approach rather than a traditional top-down model.

"To deliver that change, requires us all to change - and part of that change is a mindset shift within central government."

Duncan Parish

His remarks arrived as the government faces ongoing scrutiny regarding taxpayer costs for the new headquarters. He urged for the publication of annual budgets, staff headcounts, and office attendance statistics, noting that current staffing levels have not yet been officially clarified.