“Ministers are asking us to gamble our residents’ jobs, homes and businesses and a large chunk of our economy on a strategy that their own experts tell them might not work,” Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester told a press briefing last week.
The statement came following the government announcement on the tiered system of lockdown, and the proposal that Manchester be moved to tier 3 – the “very high” category. This would mean the closure of pubs and bars, no mixing of households or support bubbles in groups greater than six, and a recommended avoidance of travel.
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Burnham has rejected the measure unless better financial help is provided for workers and small businesses in Greater Manchester. Speaking to Sky News, communities secretary Robert Jenrick said that the government was close to a deal with Burnham over the proposed new restrictions. Burnham however, said that “nothing has changed, as far as I’m concerned”.
The Treasury has offered Greater Manchester a financial package in line with those agreed by leaders in Merseyside and Lancashire, which are currently under tier 3 restrictions. Burnham is pushing the government to pay 80 percent of the wages of those who have lost work due to coronavirus, rather than two-thirds.
He isn’t the only northern mayor to fight against local lockdown restrictions. Jamie Driscoll, mayor of North Tyne, and Steve Rotherham of Liverpool City Region, released a statement on Friday that promised they would “fight for what is right” for the “self-employed, freelancers and other businesses who will be affected by these lockdowns”.
Burnham appears to have many supporters among his Manchester constituents. Banksie, a drag performer and events planner from Manchester believes that the proposed tier 3 lockdown across the region is “entirely biased against northern communities”.
Banksie continues: “Look at the constituencies that are primarily Conservative voters and their restrictions have never been as harsh as those places traditionally Labour, especially in the north. The government is purposefully making a divide between the north and the south, just like there was in the 80s.”
Jonny Heyes, founder of Manchester bars Common, Port Street Beer House, The Beagle and The Pilcrow, agrees that the tiered lockdown system allows politicians to avoid making countrywide decisions.
“The government is making the same mistakes as the first time round, avoiding decisive national action and achieving the worst of both worlds: more drastic lockdowns, for longer, more economic damage without even protecting public health,” he says. “With the virus spreading across the entire country, this is a national problem.”
After losing £1 million in revenue during the first lockdown, Heyes is in favour of Burnham’s stance against the government’s lack of economic help for the hospitality industry. “We are in one of the worst affected sectors and the government needs to recognise the contribution we make to the economy,” he says. “We need a proper, sector specific economic package including 80 percent furlough and grants for business. All we are really being offered is cheap debt, which means that ultimately our sector will be footing the bill for COVID.”
Liam Manton, co-founder of independent drinks company Alderman’s Drinks, feels that the government’s tiered lockdown doesn’t just create a divide between the north and the south of England, but also between business sectors. The hospitality sector, he says, has been a “scapegoat for the government since March”.
Nigel Meadows, founder of local fitness studio Gym and Juice, worries about the impact of shutting the area’s gyms, which is what has happened in Liverpool. “The government should prioritise keeping the fitness industry open given the direct positive impact exercise has on both people’s mental and physical health,” he says.
While Manton and others in Manchester feel that the proposed tier 3 lockdown is typical of the north-south divide in central government policy, some politicians have blamed northern leaders for creating an unnecessary impasse. This weekend, Michael Gove accused Burnham of “posturing” in his refusal to accept the new restrictions.
“I was massively disappointed to see some MPs trying to spin this as the greedy north trying to get more money out of them, or that the North was being obstructive,” says Manton. “We’re not. We are asking for evidence as to why decisions are being made. We’re asking to be included in dialogue and we’re asking for a balanced approach across the country.”
Jenrick is keen to reach an agreement over Greater Manchester’s lockdown in the coming days, but with Burnham pledging not to “roll over at the sight of a cheque”, there may be further debate ahead.
