It is vital we stick to the rules so we don’t end up in lockdown
RECENTLY we saw the Prime Minister announce a new Covid-alert tier system and it was positive to see no change to restrictions across Stoke-on-trent, having been put into Tier One (Medium), the lowest of three levels. This includes the rule of six and the 10pm curfew as before, but importantly no new restrictions have been imposed.
However, it has been suggested that Kidsgrove and Talke, as part of Newcastle Borough, might be at risk of a move into Tier Two (High). This worried me and Aaron Bell, MP for Newcastle, and we shared our concerns with the Health Secretary. We believe that a move into Tier Two would be premature. It is clear that case levels are rising, but as the local Director of Public Health has said, part of this can be attributed to the return of Keele University students to their halls of residence. I want to thank Keele University for all their efforts to help control the spread of the virus.
Different parts of the borough, county and city have a different rate of cases and a blanket approach is not what I or local leaders want to see.
The borough council is already showing its capability to control the spread of the virus, using very successful interventions in Silverdale, and from Staffordshire County Council in Burton-upon-trent as examples.
I am a strong believer that this approach of giving local authorities the chance to take direct action complements the Government’s effective overall approach of local rather than national restrictions. I am sad to see the Leader of the Opposition failing to recognise this.
Labour’s ‘circuit breaker’ proposal would implement a two to three-week national lockdown, regardless of the number of local cases. This is by no means a viable proposal – according to SAGE’S own minutes, it would only control the virus for 28 days. With the whole country locked down, this would only have a short-term impact on limiting the spread of Covid, causing harm to our economy and keeping our children out of school, further damaging the life chances of our most disadvantaged young people.
In the first five months of this tax year, our receipts were down 35 per cent. At the same time, our debt-to-gdp ratio is the highest since 1963. That is a potent combination, which must be a sobering fact for everybody, regardless of party politics, and serves as a clear reminder of the economic damage a lockdown can cause.
The Government’s commitment to a tiered, regionalised strategy that assesses areas based on their cases rather than looking at a general national picture is the most effective way forward. When out and about in the local area visiting businesses and organisations, they remind me time and time again of the negative impacts another lockdown would bring and I want to do all I can to prevent this.
Here in Stoke-on-trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, a full national lockdown would only lead to greater harm to the hospitality sector, directly impacting our local ceramics industry who are still slowly recovering.
Fundamentally, this system ensures that our local NHS staff working on the front line are not overwhelmed and can continue to support our loved ones as we approach the challenging winter months. We all have a part to play in protecting our NHS, livelihoods and local businesses, so it is vital that we continue to stick to the guidance and keep ourselves out of lockdown.