Almost immediately after Britain’s new PM announced his plan to create a No 10 of the North, memes began to circulate across Instagram of Manchester’s iconic pub, The Millstone, as the perfect location.
The Millstone, on Thomas Street, which is famous for its day time karaoke alongside beer from Manchester’s oldest brewery, JW Lees, is an institution and has even been featured in a book of Manchester’s best beers.
In preparation and celebration of Burnham taking over the most important location in the UK on Monday 20th July, The Millstone has had a make-over, emulating the UK’s other iconic doorway – No 10 Downing Street!
Andy Burnham’s No. 10 North is his proposed new government coordination office, which he wants set up in Manchester as a northern counterpart to Downing Street.
He set it out in a speech from Greater Manchester on 29 June 2026 as a central “nerve centre” based in the North that would coordinate all parts of government in order to make more joined-up decisions rather than everything flowing through Whitehall.
William Lees-Jones, managing director of JWLees, and vocal political critic and campaigner, said; “Brewing and hospitality are tough sectors right now and we continue to be impacted by above-inflation rises in labour rates, high business rates and little or no useful support from Government. We hope that Andy Burnham can change all that, with more favourable policies to help the hospitality sector which will also create new jobs.
“Bringing more power and influence to the North is a pivotal part of Burnham’s plan and where better to mastermind that from a place that truly understands the challenges and benefits of the sector – The Millstone. It has sat proudly on Thomas Street for 170 years, weathering many storms and political leaders over the years. We hope that this new leader is going to focus on policies that will enable our industry to thrive because Britain would be lost without it.
“The Millstone is a proper British boozer, which should be protected at all costs, and it’s arguably as iconic in our city as No 10 is in London – well it is now, if it wasn’t before.”
