Deriving as it does from the fantasy series Game of Thrones, Andy Burnham's nickname tends to make people smile and smirk in equal measure.

Okay, maybe there's more smirking outside the North West, but whatever your thoughts, "King of the North" has embedded itself in the public consciousness.

As mayor of Greater Manchester, the moniker had clear advantages - but as prime minister "in waiting" it raises some questions, particularly for those outside London who are not of the "North".

Nowhere more so than the Midlands, where the perennial debate over which is the second city, Birmingham or Manchester, (it is Birmingham by the way), is just one, amongst many irritations, for a region which, post-World War Two, has often been slighted both economically and culturally by those in power.

Sarah Moorhouse, CEO of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said she hadn't really picked up "negativity" around Burnham's nickname, but what ultimately mattered to businesses was that the new PM "hits the ground running, with a renewed commitment on driving growth, rather than just talking about it".

When Burnham gave his big economic speech at the People's History Museum in Manchester last week, the front row was filled with regional mayors from across England, including the current Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker.

I don't think there is a collective noun for a group of mayors, the internet suggested a "chain-gang", but either way they must have been happy to hear a vision in which devolution and giving them more clout figured so heavily.

Parker, who was new to elected office prior to his win in 2024, has based much of his political capital on his relationship with Number 10, and his friendship with Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

He would tell you her support was key in anchoring the £3bn investment in Birmingham's new Sports Quarter from Birmingham City owner and American billionaire Tom Wagner.

Of course now "the king is dead, long live the king", Parker said he had been talking for several weeks to Burnham and his team about prime ministerial ambitions.

Asked about Burnham's plan for a "Number 10 North", he said: "The whole purpose of that base in Manchester is to work with regions like ours, to drive through a …fast-tracked approach to devolution.

"The message I left Manchester with on Monday was really, 'Get ready'."

The West Midlands alongside Greater Manchester already has an enhanced form of devolution in comparison to some other city regions.

A "trailblazer deal" on funding was granted in 2023, giving the two areas greater powers and financial freedom.

It was championed by Burnham under his previous guise and by former West Midlands mayor, Conservative Andy Street, who at the time described it as "doing away with Whitehall micro-management".

During the Makerfield by-election campaign, Burnham told the i newspaper he favoured extending HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester.

This was of course cancelled under the previous Conservative government, but could the new PM resurrect the project?

As far back as February 2024, Burnham and Street formed a consortium of investors to develop alternative plans to restore the cancelled project.

Burnham also told the i-paper a funding model like the one used for Cross Rail or the Elizabeth Line in London, could be a "cleverer way" of getting the job done.

The urban West Midlands has seen huge changes in the last decade. In 2025 it was the number one region for foreign inward investment outside London and is still home to huge international businesses like Jaguar Land Rover and a vibrant advanced manufacturing hub.

However, it also has some of the most persistent levels of deprivation and youth unemployment anywhere in the country.

As Moorhouse puts it: "It's positive to hear ambitious devolution plans from Andy Burnham.

"However, as ever, the devil will be in the detail and how the vision will play out in the reality of day-to-day life."

She added: "Actually, he can take this as an open invitation, so he can see for himself the innovation, grit, resilience and the unique people that flow through our DNA."

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