UK confirms PM Burnham’s former fiefdom of Manchester to host G20 summit

The leaders of the world’s biggest economies will descend on Manchester next year after the UK government confirmed the English city will host the Group of 20 (G20) summit.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will use his first trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York to announce the city he led as mayor for almost a decade as the venue for the leaders summit, according to a statement on Monday from his office.

The decision to choose Manchester in the northwest of England as the centre of the UK’s G20 presidency was made before Burnham came to power. But with the city now the site of his new No 10 North office launched to rival the government’s base in London, the location only serves to complement the new premier’s regional growth and devolution-focused agenda.

The UK will take over the presidency of the G20 from the US in December, and with one eye on the volatile global picture putting pressure on Britain’s economy, Downing Street was keen to highlight the potential benefits for Britain that the global leadership role creates.