Manchester lockdown: Andy Burnham accuses Boris Johnson of ‘playing poker’ with people’s lives

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has accused the government of “playing poker” with people’s lives, amid reports that ministers may offer as little as £22m to support the city in return for tighter coronavirus restrictions.

Mr Burnham said that a fully-costed plan totalling £90 million to protect businesses through “a punishing winter” had been rejected by ministers, even after local leaders reduced their request to £65m in phone talks with Boris Johnson today.

The mayor said that he and the leaders of Manchester councils were willing to carry on talking, and had not yet been informed whether the government is proposing to put the city into tier 3 restrictions, which would close down pubs, bars and other businesses.

Responding to reports that the £60m offer made by ministers during discussions today may now be off the table as a result of talks collapsing without agreement, Mr Burnham asked: “Is this a game of poker? Are they playing poker with places and people’s lives through a pandemic? Is that what this is about?

“Are they piling pressure on people to accept the lowest figure they can get away with? Is that how they are running this country?”

Mr Burnham said it would be an “act of bad faith” for the government to take its offer off the table, and called on MPs in parliament to intervene by setting a framework for financial support for areas asked to accept tighter restrictions.

During the press conference, Mr Burnham was shown a message saying £22 million would be given to the region and restrictions would come into force at midnight on Friday evening.

He said: “It’s brutal, to be honest.

“This is no way to run a country in a national crisis.

“It’s not right, they should not be doing this.”