Leaders should object over our Covid lockdown

A CURIOUS coronavirus battle is raging over the border in Greater Manchester, with local Tory MPs condemning Labour Mayor Andy Burnham for saying that it’s not right to say lockdown restrictions need to be GM-wide to work.

In a letter to Government, the MPs said: “It is perfectly possible to vary the measures on a local authority by local authority basis according to the evidence available, as has already been demonstrated.”

Of course it is. But why is it that we have a group of MPs in Greater Manchester rebelling against area-wide lockdowns, but no such concerns being raised on behalf of Rossendale?

The placing of local restrictions on Rossendale is bizarre.

The number of confirmed new cases in the borough peaks at, at most, 3 on some days, and on more days than not, no news cases are confirmed.

One reason offered for Rossendale being included in the recent lockdown restrictions is that we commute to areas where infection rates are higher. If so, then surely we’ve done remarkably well to keep local infection rates amongst the lowest in the country.

The local lockdown restrictions are confusing and stressful, and unfairly placing local businesses - such as restaurants who can’t fully take part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme - at a disadvantage to their counterparts in areas like the Ribble Valley.

Two weeks on, we still don’t fully know why we were included. Surely if local MPs in Greater Manchester are banging the drum for more selective, targeted lockdowns, we should expect the same in Rossendale?