Following Andy Burnham’s appointment as Prime Minister, we’ve decided to make him and his family an offer: if they decide to relocate from Greater Manchester to Downing Street, we’ll move them for free.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester officially took charge as Prime Minister on 20 July 2026, making the move from the North West to Westminster.
But while Mr Burnham has begun settling into life at Number 10, there has been plenty of speculation about whether the rest of the Burnham family will follow him south.
So, as a fellow North West business, we thought we’d offer to help.
A golden ticket from the North to Number 10
At John Mason International, we’re offering the entire Burnham family a complimentary relocation package should they decide to move their belongings from Greater Manchester to Downing Street.
That means our team would take care of the packing, transportation and delivery, helping make one particularly high-profile house move as straightforward as possible.
Our Executive Director, Simon Hood, said: “We’re offering the entire Burnham family a golden ticket to use our services completely free of charge and let us oversee their move from Greater Manchester to Downing Street.
“We see first-hand every day how stressful moving home can be. Packing up your family’s belongings and relocating to a new city is a major undertaking at the best of times, never mind when you’ve just become Prime Minister and the whole country is watching.
“If Mr Burnham and his family do decide to make the move, we’d be delighted to take one thing off their plate and make the relocation as smooth as possible.”
Will the Burnham family move south?
Mr Burnham is expected to divide his time between Downing Street and Manchester, and it remains to be seen whether the whole family will establish a permanent base in Westminster.
Mr Burnham and his wife, Marie-France van Heel, have lived in Golborne, Wigan, close to his new parliamentary constituency of Makerfield. The couple have three adult children, Jimmy, Rose and Anne-Marie, and have generally kept their family life relatively private.
There has also been speculation that the family could make use of the larger accommodation above Number 11 Downing Street, should they decide to spend more time in London.
One member of the family who apparently won’t be making the journey is their rescue dog, Axel. Mr Burnham has said Axel is unlikely to move into Downing Street because he may not get along with its most famous four-legged resident, Larry the Cat.
Larry has been Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office since arriving at Downing Street from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2011.
From the North West to Downing Street
Our roots are firmly in the North West, so there is something particularly fitting about offering to help one of the region’s most recognisable political figures make the journey south.
Simon added: “Our head office is in Liverpool and our operations are based here in the North, so we wanted to offer a bit of northern hospitality.
“We pride ourselves on taking the stress and uncertainty out of moving. Our teams deal with complex relocations every day, whether that means protecting treasured possessions, working to tight deadlines or overcoming difficult logistical challenges.
“If anyone can handle a move into Downing Street, we’d like to think it’s us.”
More than 140 years of moving people
John Mason International has been helping people move since 1884. Today, we help thousands of people relocate across the UK and around the world, including moves to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and destinations throughout Europe.
For us, Andy Burnham’s move to Downing Street also feels like a significant moment for the North.
Simon said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the North to have an even stronger voice on the national stage.
“Andy Burnham has always spoken passionately about the potential of the region and, as a North West business, we’re excited to see what the coming years could mean for investment, infrastructure, skills and businesses here.
“And in the meantime, if he needs a removal van outside Number 10, he knows where we are.”
Our offer is officially on the table. If the Burnham family decide it’s time to make the move south, John Mason International will take care of it.