By Ben Kerrigan-
Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced that Greater Manchester will move to England’s highest tier of coronavirus restrictions from Friday at 00:01 BST.
Boris Johnson said not to act would put the lives of Manchester’s residents “at risk”. Matt Hancock said a £60m offer to Manchester still stands, after Matt Hancock
He said a “generous” offer of financial support had been made to the region but that Mayor Andy Burnham had refused it.
Under tier three rules – currently only applied to Lancashire and the Liverpool City Region – pubs and bars not serving substantial meals have to close, while household mixing is banned indoors and outdoors in hospitality settings and private gardens.
All betting shops, casinos, bingo halls, adult gaming centres and soft play areas will also have to close, while there is guidance against travelling in or out of the area.
Greater Manchester is currently under tier two rules, meaning pubs and restaurants must close at 22:00, there is no household mixing indoors and the rule of six applies outdoors.
Ahead of the Downing Street press conference, Mr Burnham – speaking alongside other local leaders – said that without a “bare minimum” of £65m in additional business support, tighter measures “would be certain to increase levels of poverty, homelessness and hardship” among the region’s 2.8 million population.
Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has said the party will force a Commons vote tomorrow demanding a “fair, one-nation deal” for areas facing tier 3 restrictions.
The party said it will urge its MPs to back its motion demanding “the government guarantees people faced with hardship who are subject to the job retention scheme extension will receive at least 80% of their previous incomes”.
”The Conservatives have been treating local communities, particularly in the Midlands, north-west and north-east, and their leaders with contempt.
This is not just a matter of fairness for people in Greater Manchester, but for people across the country who could find themselves in tier 3 in the weeks ahead.
Families and businesses will be deeply anxious that they might not be able to make ends meet under the government’s wholly inadequate proposals.
The prime minister and the chancellor need to make good on their commitment to the British people to do whatever it takes to help us through this pandemic.
We need a fair, one-nation deal that can help us through the second wave.
I would urge all Conservative MPs, particularly those in areas of the country that are most affected by this, to vote with us tomorrow and force the government’s hand.”