Mayors Across England Rush to Build Their Own 'No 10s' After Burnham's Diplomatic Coup
As Downing Street's northern outpost hosts its first foreign leader, town halls nationwide start drafting foreign policy of their own.
Following the historic meeting at 'No 10 North,' other English mayors have reportedly begun converting disused civic buildings into diplomatic annexes of their own, each hoping to host a visiting head of state before Westminster gets the chance.
The West Midlands mayor's office is said to be repurposing a multi-storey car park into 'No 10 Midlands,' complete with a flagpole and a laminated itinerary for arriving dignitaries, while the Liverpool city region is reportedly drafting its own trade terms with a passing delegation using a seating chart borrowed from a wedding venue down the road.
'We're not just governing a region anymore, we're conducting bilateral relations from a repurposed leisure centre, and frankly the biscuits are better than Westminster's,' said a spokesperson for one such office, speaking anonymously because the office does not technically exist yet.
Visiting diplomats are reportedly now carrying several itineraries at once, unsure whether the person greeting them that afternoon represents the national government, a metro mayor, or simply a very ambitious parish council with strong opinions about EU manufacturing quotas.