Bride-to-Be Pleads With Andy Burnham Not to ‘Ruin’ Her Wedding as Prime Minister Responds

A bride-to-be has made a public plea to Andy Burnham, urging him not to overshadow her wedding day after security was tightened around the Prime Minister’s new “No10 North” base — a building that also hosts dozens of weddings each week.

Saz Burwin appealed to the new premier to avoid visiting the Manchester city centre office on August 21, saying she feared the disruption could stop her from getting the “nice photos” she had planned for her big day.

Mr Burnham later acknowledged her post on social media with a brief reply: “Noted Saz…”

The exchange came after he described Thursday as the “best day of my life” while formally opening the temporary government office at Heron House.

The Prime Minister praised the project after arriving by Government jet from Scotland, where he had attended the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony the night before.

He also brushed aside concerns over the cost of the so-called “gimmick” and the large security operation surrounding it, arguing: “What does it cost for everybody to troop down to London every time there’s a meeting when you need to make an argument about something?”

Posting on TikTok yesterday, Ms Burwin addressed him directly, saying: “This is a video for Andy Burnham.

“I saw that you set up your new gaff, No10 North, at Heron House — saw it on the news, gorgeous, love what you’ve done with the place.

‘I’m actually getting married there. And on the news today the place was surrounded by police, bollards, all that stuff that wasn’t there before.’

Ms Burwin went on to say she was planning to get ‘nice photos’ after the formal ceremony – but added she was ‘just a bit worried that all of this is kind of ruining the vibe’.

She said: ‘So I would really appreciate it if you were maybe not there that day. You’re invited but maybe not without the escorts – the guys with the rifles.’

Eight separate weddings are believed to have taken place at Heron House on the day Mr Burnham opened it – where he conducted interviews and held his first National Economic Council meeting with regional mayors and ministers. 

Mr Burnham is making great play of his decision to be based part of the week in Manchester, where his family lives and he used to be mayor.

The so-called ‘King of the North’ wants to use the arrangements as a symbol of his drive to devolve power out of Westminster.

However, construction has not even started yet on the site earmarked to become the premier’s base in the city, and it will not be operational until 2032.

Instead Mr Burnham is planning on using Heron House, an existing Government office in the centre that is used by GCHQ, which gathers intelligence and focusses on cyber security.

Designed by Leach Rhodes Walker and constructed between 1979 and 1982, Heron House is located on Albert Square in Manchester city centre.

It currently also hosts a Slug & Lettuce pub as well as commercial space used by buildings on the ground floor and the Manchester Register Office for births, deaths and marriage.

One person commented under Ms Burwin’s video: ‘Just pretend the security is there for you.’

A second said: ‘There’s so many little hidden gems around the area, hopefully you can still get some photos outside though.’

Someone else commented: ‘I went to Heron House to register both my parents’ deaths, all I heard was cheering… they really shouldn’t put the two together.’

No10 has insisted there will be no extra running costs to the taxpayer for staff, but experts have warned that the bill for fortifying an office for the PM and providing round-the-clock armed police could run into tens of millions of pounds a year.

The Cabinet Office has posted a slew of adverts for social media and communications jobs based in London and Manchester.

Downing Street and much of the Government estate in Whitehall is entirely closed off from the public.

In the foyer area of the Manchester hub there is a mock No10 front door, which was created for an art installation in support of the GREAT Britain Campaign in 2015.

As he posed for pictures in front of the door, Mr Burnham responded to a suggestion that the office needed a cat.

Addressing Caroline Simpson, former chief executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority who is now his deputy chief of staff, he asked: ‘Have you identified a Larry yet?’

Addressing staff, Mr Burnham said: ‘I cannot tell you what a proud moment this is. I think this might be the best day of my life.

‘I’m not joking. I know you think I am, but I’m not. Things are just completely coming full circle here, for me to be here with you all in the heart of Manchester this Friday morning at the end of a fairly big week is just everything to me.

‘Because it’s almost exactly 35 years since I left this city as a recently graduated young man, couldn’t find a job in the city. It was in a pretty bad place at that time, it’s fair to say. The ’80s turned into the ’90s. There wasn’t much.

‘And that really is an experience that I’ve never forgotten. My generation of people growing up here, and it’s true of places all over the country, to get on in life you had to leave where you were because things weren’t here.

‘And the country’s always been a little like that, hasn’t it? Opportunity has not been evenly spread around the country and not all places have felt that they’re part of the national story and that is what this government is going to work every single day to change, and that is what No 10 North is all about: putting power in every postcode so that people can turn things around for themselves and make changes just as this great city has done and the other English cities are doing through devolution.’