As the backlash against the leaking of the Government’s proposals for local lockdowns in the North of England continues, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said that the Government was losing the dressing room in the North. Downing Street denied that it had not been communicating with Northern leaders.
Speaking at a joint media briefing, with Steve Rotheram the Metro Mayor of Liverpool City, Andy Burnham said that Greater Manchester would not accept the tier 3 restrictions if the Government did not improve financial support.
As the row between the Government and Burnham raged on the mayor of Greater Manchester, said he would not “roll over” and place the region under Tier 3 restrictions at the “sight of a cheque”.
Boris Johnson set Greater Manchester leaders a deadline to agree to an economic support deal or face having Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions imposed on them unilaterally.
It was revealed that Greater Manchester would move to England’s highest tier of coronavirus restrictions. “We had to act today…in order to protect health and save lives.” said Johnson adding that he “regrets” that an agreement was not reached with Burnham over the “proportionate” offer he made to keep its businesses running.
The Nightingale hospital in Manchester was asked “to mobilise” in coming weeks, NHS England’s medical director Steve Powis announced.
It was revealed that 86% of people who tested positive for Covid-19 during lockdown did not have virus symptoms (cough, and/or fever, and/or loss of taste/smell), a study by UCL researchers showed. The authors said a more widespread testing programme is needed to catch ‘silent’ transmission.
The Conservative MP for Bolton West and Atherton Chris Green resigned his role in Government over the lockdown plans.
Marcus Rashford launched an online petition urging the Government to make three commitments to support vulnerable children as part of the #endchildfoodpoverty campaign. The Government rejected the calls from Rashford.
Labour announced that they would force a vote in Parliament on plans to extend free school meals over the school holidays, after the Government refused to extend support to more than 1.4 million children in the October half term. Rashford said that a significant number of children are going to bed not only hungry but feeling that they do not matter.
Manchester City and England striker Raheem Sterling announced that he would be setting up a charity to help deprived youngsters.
Burnham, joined Academy award-winning actor Vanessa Redgrave CBE at an event in Manchester to campaign for support for the cultural sector across the North of England.
Salford paid further tribute to heroic taxi driver Alan Henning by naming a major road in his honour. The Salford Western Gateway, the one-mile dual carriageway which connects the A57 Liverpool Road in Salford and Trafford Way to the east of the M60 in Trafford was named Alan Henning Way.
Both of Manchester’s Universities switched to online teaching for most courses after the continuing outbreaks of Coronavirus.
Britain’s unemployment rate rose by more than expected to 4.5% in the three months to August, up from 4.1% in the three months to July it was revealed.
Cineworld, the world’s second-biggest cinema operator, closed all its sites in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland this week because of the impact of the coronavirus crisis.
Posters appeared on the windows of the Tesco on Market Street, Manchester, exposing how Tesco sells industrial meat linked to forest destruction. The Manchester store was targeted as part of a national campaign by Greenpeace that has seen dozens of Tesco stores re-branded across the UK this weekend.
Victoria Baths announced it would be reopening its doors for the first time in over six months as it welcomed visitors to its Festive Winter Fair.
