Red Wall backlash over tighter restrictions

Local leaders say they have not been consulted over lockdown measures that could devastate economies

BORIS JOHNSON yesterday faced a backlash from “Red Wall” MPS and regional leaders as they complained that lockdown measures were killing their local economies.

Large parts of northern England are preparing for new restrictions on Monday when a three-tier “traffic light’” scheme is expected to shut pubs, bars and restaurants in high risk areas.

An estimated 10 million Britons are to be hit by the tougher rules as Covid numbers soar, with premises expected to be closed in Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle, as well as Nottingham.

A document obtained by the Nottingham Post showed that the tiered system is expected to be revealed on Monday, affecting many areas that switched to voting Tory in last year’s election.

Jake Berry, the former Northern Powerhouse minister and the Conservative MP for Rossendale and Darwen, warned: “Crucially, they need to show not just how you go into a tier but how you leave a tier because no one wants to be caught in a ‘Hotel California lockdown’ with all the damage that will cause the local economy.”

Simon Fell, the Tory MP for Barrowin-furness, organised a local meeting, saying: “I’m well aware people will have questions and concerns around these pending stricter measures for Barrow.”

Charlotte Nichols, Labour MP for Warrington North, said: “For 16 days now in Warrington we have been lumped in with the Liverpool city region and been subject to two different sets of restrictions, despite the fact Warrington is in Cheshire.”

Andrew Gwynne, the Labour MP for Denton and Reddish in Greater Manchester, added: “All the evidence from

Bolton, where they closed the pubs and restaurants, shows that coronavirus carried on spiralling anyway.”

Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester’s mayor, said: “What they are doing is imposing rather than negotiating and there is a very big difference when we know millions of people’s lives will be affected by these ratings.

“If the support package isn’t good enough that will mean restrictions without the help people will need. That will just cause massive damage to people’s lives here across the north of England.”

Mr Burnham added: “I’ve had two meetings with Cabinet ministers this week along with other mayors and it wasn’t mentioned once. There is no way

I will sign off on the closure of any business without a local furlough scheme.”

The Chancellor will today unveil a local furlough scheme for workers employed in hospitality businesses being forced to shut, The Times reported.

Steve Rotherham, Liverpool’s mayor, said: “What we’ve seen is an ever-widening North-south divide in measures being taken.”

James Ramsbotham, of the North East Chamber of Commerce, said the looming lockdown would be “devastating”. He added: “Retail and hospitality absolutely rely on the three months in the run-up to Christmas to see them through the next nine months of trading. Killing their trade at this time of year will have a huge impact.” But Nadine Dorries, the health minister, said: “Those who claim that further measures are not needed will, in about 10 days from now, when hospital admissions are at a critical stage, argue that we didn’t do enough.”

Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary, said it was “right that we take a localised, proportionate response”.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the Prime Minister must help Britons to learn to live with the disease. The former Conservative leader told the Telegraph’s Chopper’s Politics podcast: “If we go on just trying to push these spikes down, then we could be in this for years because there are very few vaccines that are completely effective against viruses.”