Northern leaders call for more cash to cope with looming lockdowns

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said that accepting Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s financial package would be to “surrender” people to hardship in the run up to Christmas.

Speaking at a press conference with political leaders from Liverpool, Sheffield and Tyneside on Saturday, Mr Burnham said the measures risked “severe redundancies” and business closures.

“We are not prepared to do that.

His comments come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to outline a new three-tiered system of restrictions on Monday with measures expected to see pubs and restaurants shut across the north of England.

Under the three-tier system, different parts of the country would be placed in different categories, with areas in the highest level expected to face tough restrictions such as hospitality venues closing.

Mr Sunak announced on Friday that workers in businesses which are forced to close under the new restrictions will have two thirds of their wages paid by the Government.

Mr Burnham said he was calling for cross-party support from MPs across the north for a vote in Parliament on the support proposals announced by the Chancellor.

“I would not rule out a legal challenge,” he said.

In an open letter published alongside the press conference the leaders added: “We believe the Government should bring forward a separate vote on the financial package to provide an opportunity to reject the current financial package and requiring the Government to return with an improved package taking account of the important points we have raised.

“We would ask that you use whatever routes might be open to you to bring about a vote in the House.”

The letter is signed by Mr Burnham, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis, Mayor of North of Tyne Jamie Driscoll, and Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council.

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer was also critical of the business aid package and said there were gaps in it.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the Government will pay two thirds of the wages of staff in businesses forced to close under new coronavirus restrictions (Danny Lawson/PA)

Speaking at a Co-operative Party virtual conference he said: “I think, though, that the Government has lost sight of the guiding principle, and the guiding principle should be that restrictions are always accompanied by appropriate economic support.

“If that had been the principle throughout, we wouldn’t be in the mess that we are in at the moment.”

Earlier on Saturday, Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said he expected his city to be in the highest category of restrictions.

Speaking on BBC radio 4’s Today programme, he added: “I do believe that the measures that will be introduced will be a lockdown of public houses from Wednesday within the city of Liverpool and beyond the city of Liverpool in terms of the whole region.

“We do believe that there will be a concession to restaurants in terms of allowing restaurants to stay open until 10 o’clock.”

Real estate adviser Altus Group has said there are 7,171 pubs in areas with restrictions across the north of England at risk of temporary closure.

Meanwhile, on Friday evening the leaders of West Yorkshire councils also warned another lockdown will have a “devastating” effect on the town and city centres and regional economy.

In a joint letter to the Chancellor and health and housing secretaries on Friday, the leaders said “significantly” more financial support was needed to prevent an even deeper economic catastrophe.

They added: “In a three-level approach, there must be significantly more support available to businesses in areas that are in either level two or level three to avoid an even deeper economic catastrophe.”

Talks between the Government and local leaders are to continue over the weekend.

A further 13,864 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK were reported on Friday, and 87 more deaths were confirmed of people who died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus.

Separate figures suggested coronavirus cases are doubling about twice as fast in the North West, Yorkshire and the West Midlands as for the whole of England.

In North Wales, new coronavirus restrictions are being introduced in Bangor following a sharp rise in cases, the Welsh Government has announced.

From 6pm on Saturday, people will not be allowed to enter or leave the area without a “reasonable excuse” and can only meet people they do not live with outdoors, it said.