PM told to ‘ do right thing’ on Covid support

Johnson under pressure over extra aid as South Yorkshire faces Tier3 restrictions

BORIS JOHNSON is coming under increasing pressure to provide more money to South Yorkshire as the area becomes the latest to enter into the strictest coronavirus measures.

Some 1.4m people across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield will be under the restrictions from Saturday, which bans all household mixing – whether indoors or outdoors – and forces certain businesses including pubs to close.

Sheffield City Region mayor Dan Jarvis said he had secured a £ 41m economic support package from the Government to accompany the measures.

But Sheffield City Council’s leader, Julie Dore, pleaded with ministers to “do the right thing” and offer extra support to all Tier 3 areas, while Rotherham leader Chris Read said the Government had not been willing to negotiate despite days of talks between leaders.

The deal with South Yorkshire comes after bitter wrangling over money with Greater Manchester led to the highest level of restrictions being imposed there from Whitehall without an agreement.

And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer yesterday called for a clear framework setting out the support on offer to regions in Tier 2 and Tier 3 of the coronavirus measures, rather than “grubby, take- it- or- leave it” deals.

Ms Dore said: “We will continue to push Government to provide enough support for people and businesses as they are now placing us in these measures which will have such serious consequences for the people most impacted.”

Meanwhile, Mr Read said: “There is nothing in the announcement today that the Government could not have decided to introduce days ago. There have been no meaningful negotiations with local leaders. It has become clear over the last few days during our conversations with Government that they already had a template of measures and funding in mind.”

But Mr Jarvis defended agreeing the deal, and said: “I’ve moved heaven and earth to secure the maximum amount of resource that we could. I honestly don’t think I could have got any more money out of the Government.”

Mr Jarvis said he was “absolutely” in step with all four council leaders in South Yorkshire, adding: “We’ve worked incredibly closely together.”

But he said his response had been right, despite not being as outspoken as Greater Manchester.

“I think the approach was the right one,” he said. “In the end, we’ve got to do what we think is best for our residents. Andy’s done that in Greater Manchester. I hold him in the highest regard.

“I’ve done what I think is best here in South Yorkshire and we’ve secured an amount that I don’t think we honestly could have bettered.”

But he added: “We need to keep talking to Government about what more support they are able to give. Certainly I’ll be making that case over the coming weeks and months.”

MPs yesterday rejected calls from Labour to increase support for areas in Tier 3, as the Commons voted by 261 to 340 against a motion calling on the Government to publish “clear and fair national criteria” for financial help for businesses facing additional Covid- 19 restrictions.

Sheffield Heeley MP and shadow cabinet minister Louise Haigh said: “Tory ministers are treating the North with contempt.”

Officials said that in South Yorkshire, case rates range from 285 people per 100,000 in Doncaster up to 402 people per 100,000 in Sheffield.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “A failure to act now would only lead to tougher and longer lasting restrictions later.”

The financial package agreed by Sheffield City Region with the Government includes £ 30m to support the region’s businesses and £ 11m for councils for measures such as test and trace.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed that talks over moving to Tier 3 in West Yorkshire had been paused.

We will push Government to provide enough support. Sheffield City Council leader Julie Dore.

THE FORMER head of the Civil Service has acknowledged that there were “legitimate” questions about Whitehall’s preparedness for the coronavirus outbreak.

Lord Sedwill, who stood down last month as cabinet secretary, said they did not have all the “exact measures” in place to deal with the pandemic.

However, he told the BBC that some of the criticism had been misplaced and that off thebriefings attacks on its performance had been “damaging” to good governance. He said the Government’s efforts to enforce lockdown restrictions had been undermined by Dominic Cummings’ trip to Country Durham at the height of the first wave.

Lord Sedwill, who was appointed to the post under Theresa May, stepped down after reportedly clashing with Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser. He was one of a number of senior officials to leave in the months after Mr Johnson became Prime Minister last year.

He rejected suggestions that their departures had been “part of a campaign” to get rid of officials ministers did not like, saying the situation was “more complex”. “Governments want people they have confidence in, of course,” he said.

“We go through periods of this kind when there’s perceived to be an attack on the underlying values of the Civil Service, but actually, those values and the institutions serving governments with impartiality have always prevailed and I’m confident they will continue to do so.”

However he said that attacks in the press on senior officials over Brexit and other issues had been “unpleasant” and damaging.

“It is damaging to good governance and those responsible should recognise the damage they’re doing.”