The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Burnham wants MPs to take vote on support
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham called on Westminster’s political leaders to help in “breaking the impasse” over the coronavirus restrictions by holding a Commons vote to secure greater support for the hardest-hit areas.
The Labour mayor was said to have had a “constructive” conversation with Boris Johnson’s chief strategic adviser yesterday as he battled to get increased funding in exchange for the region accepting Tier 3 measures.
Mr Burnham called for MPs to help workers and businesses hit with the harshest restrictions by having an urgent debate this week. He wrote to the prime minister, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and other party leaders in Westminster, saying “most places” will end up in Tier 3 at some point before a vaccine is rolled out.
Mr Burnham called for a “full and fair furlough scheme” covering 80% of wages, or at least the national minimum wage, support for the selfemployed and improved business compensation.
He said “clear national entitlements” similar to those in the first lockdown are essential to create the “sense of fairness” to ensure compliance.
After confusion and mixed messages over whether talks between No 10 and the mayor would continue, Mr Burnham spoke with one of the prime minister ’ s top advisers yesterday afternoon.
Mr Burnham ’s spokesman said :“The mayor has had a constructive call with Sir Edward Lister.”
Downing Street expects more conversations today.
Earlier in the day, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday he wanted the political leadership in Greater Manchester to “put aside for a moment some of the political positioning that they’ve indulged in and I want them to work with us in order to ensure we save lives and protect the NHS”.
Senior Conservative backbencher Sir Graham Brady, MP for Altrincham and Sale West in Greater Manchester, told BBC Radio 4’ s Broadcasting House the region’s Labour and Tory MPs were “pretty united” in opposing Tier 3.
Mr Burnham accused the prime minister of an “exaggeration” of the severity of Covid-19 in the region .“It’ s a serious situation but I don’t think it was the situation that was described by the prime minister on Friday evening,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
The British Chambers of Commerce told the prime minister any new lockdown restrictions must come with “truly commensurate” financial support or risk “catastrophic economic consequences”.
The funding row rumbled on as new controls came into force on Saturday, meaning 28 million people – more than half of England – are living under heightened restrictions.
Mr Johnson has been under increasing pressure to impose a short national lockdown known as a “circuit-breaker ”, as recommended by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies ( Sage) and Labour.
Asked on Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday if the government would take the measure, Mr Gove said: “No.”
However, pressed on whether the measure could be taken in future, he said “blanket restrictions across the country” are not merited by the disease “at the moment”.
There were a further 16,982 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK and an extra 67 deaths of people who had tested positive in the past 28 days, according to government figures, which put the total at 43,646.
Meanwhile, concerns were raised after it emerged people who have been told to self-isolate through NHS Test and Trace could have their contact details shared with police.
Lancashire joined the Liverpool region in entering Tier 3 on Saturday, with pubs and bars closed unless they can serve meals and household mixing banned indoors and in gardens.
Tier 2 measures were introduced in London, Essex, York, Elmbridge, Barrow-in-Furness, North East Derbyshire, Erewash and Chesterfield. They prohibit people mixing inside with those from other households.