MP claims people are breaking the law despite local lockdown
makingthevirusspreadworse, not improving them – because the Government has not listened to local people and the requests of leaders, cross-party leaders, of what the needs of the North East were.
“And the Government’s regulations only work if they take people with them and they’re not taking people with them.
“The police aren’t an army, they can’t possibly stop what is going on. And I have huge sympathy for people going in to see their relatives for all sorts of reasons – I don’t condone them breaking the law but I understand it.”
This comes as the Government is facing increasing pressure over local lockdowns with politicians claiming they are not effective.
Sunderland, along with the six other council areas in the North East; Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and
Northumberland, were put under additional restrictions on September 18, which were tightened further last week when it was made against the law to meet with someone outside of your household or support bubble in any indoor setting.
The council leaders of Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds have written to the Health Secretary and said local lockdowns are “not working, are confusing and ”counterproductive".
Boris Johnson is facing calls for a two-week circuit breaker lockdown.
Professor John Edmunds, who advises the Government’s coronavirusresponseaspartof the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said: “These local restrictions in place in much of the north of England haven’t been very effective. We need to take more stringent measures, not just in the north of England, we need to do it countrywide, and bring the epidemic under control.”