Andy Burnham warns Greater Manchester ‘won’t accept new lockdown system drawn up behind closed doors’

Andy Burnham has warned that Manchester will not accept a planned three-tier lockdown system without seeing it first. 

His view is shared with many other leaders in the north, who warned that local lockdown restrictions are ‘not working’ and are confusing and ‘counterproductive’.

My Burnham has said that local leaders have not seen details of the new proposal which splits lockdown into three varying degrees.

Ministers were expected to announce the move to the new ‘traffic light system’ today or tomorrow, but it looks like the plans have been held up, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Alongside Sir Richard Leese, Mr Burnham laid out a number of conditions at the weekly press conference. 

He said they have both had conversations with other leaders and now want to provide ‘some messages to government, so that we do this in the right way and learn from some of what we’ve been through so far’.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester said: “The first point I would put down as a clear request to the government is they must open meaningful negotiations with mayors and leaders about these matters.

“We do have the odd conversation here and there with ministers.

“But we need proper discussion. We will not have a tier system imposed upon us without us having the ability to see and agree the detail. That is just a prerequisite.”

Mr Burnham’s concerns echo those raised in a letter sent from Sir Richard Leese, Leeds council leader Judith Blake, Newcastle council leader Nick Forbes and Liverpool’s mayor Joe Anderson to the health secretary Matt Hancock yesterday.

Appropriate financial support to reimburse businesses, local authorities and communities affected by any potential economic measures was called for in the letter. Similarly, Mr Burnham said this was essential.

He said: “Any tier system – or indeed any potential restriction, and as you’ll know there’s a lot of scepticism here and across the north about what they can achieve – but any new system has to come with a substantial support package for councils, for businesses, but also for the individuals that are affected by those decisions.

“Let me particularly talk about any potential tier three, where non-essential retail and hospitality would probably be closed, or could be closed.

“We cannot have a repeat of the situation we saw in Bolton, where people behind bars or in kitchens were basically told from one day to the next that they had no job to go to or local furlough scheme to fall back on.

“That is simply unacceptable.”

“I would not accept any closure of businesses without the employees of those businesses having the ability to access a furlough scheme.”

Following the confirmed 500 job losses at Manchester Airport, Mr Burnham once again called for an extension of the national furlough scheme for specific sectors that cannot get up and running any time soon, including live entertainment and aviation.

He added that ministers need to provide clear exit routes for areas hit by any new measures. 

It is yet to be confirmed whether there will be new restrictions in the north following the reports of high and rising coronavirus cases.

Currently, the infection rates in Manchester are being driven by university students and are not said to be translating to the older demographic. 

Yesterday it was revealed that pubs and restaurants could face closure from Monday in the north of England due to rising infection rates.