‘ONE RULE FOR THE SOUTH’

NO.10 ACCUSED OF ‘TREATING NORTH WITH CONTEMPT’ AFTER NATIONAL FURLOUGH PAY IS EXTENDED

LEADERS in northern England have hit out at ministers for bringing back the national furlough scheme at its original level – days after refusing to do so for their region.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham (pictured) and his Liverpool City Region counterpart Steve Rotheram accused No.10 of treating northerners with ‘contempt’.

The furlough scheme giving employees unable to work 80 per cent of their wages was extended until December on Saturday – days after the government insisted staff in northern areas forced into tier three restrictions would only be eligible for 67 per cent.

Mr Rotheram told reporters yesterday: ‘Millions of people woke up knowing the prime minister of this country believes the north is worth less than the south.’ The Labour mayor warned voters across so-called red wall areas would not be ‘fooled’ into electing the Conservatives again. Mr Burnham said many businesses had already laid off staff and warned the latest support came too late.

He called for ministers to recognise people in the region had ‘just completed three months of morale-sapping restrictions and now they are waking up to the prospect of a month of even tougher restrictions’. He added: ‘I honestly don’t believe that that is understood in Westminster.’

Mr Burnham also called for the temporary closure of schools and universities after the government told him these were responsible for 25 per cent of new infections – about the same as the hospitality sector.

The government denied the north has been treated differently, and claimed the latest measures were more strict. Cabinet minister Michael Gove told ITV News: ‘The whole of the country is facing tougher restrictions than we had before, even tougher than we’ve seen hitherto in our northern cities, and indeed in London.

‘So it is necessary to act economically on a national basis.’