'Recklessly irresponsible': Northern leaders tear into government plans and messaging over pub closures

‘No discussion. No consultation. Millions of lives affected by Whitehall diktat’

(AFP via Getty Images)

Boris Johnson is facing a considerable backlash from northern leaders after proposals to impose closures on bars and restaurants in virus hotspots were leaked ahead of any official announcement from No 10. 

As cases of coronavirus surge and hospital admissions increase, the new restrictions set to be unveiled on Monday will reportedly affect vast swathes of northern England, including Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle, under a new three-tier system for local lockdowns.

Under the system being considered by ministers, all areas of the country would be classed as either Level 1, 2, or 3.

Level 1 would be a baseline of restrictions, Level 2 would include enhanced restrictions for areas where cases are above 100 per 100,000 people, and Level 3 would be for when transmission rates are even higher.

Responding to the reports, Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and former Labour cabinet minister, reacted furiously to the plans, saying: “No discussion. No consultation. Millions of lives affected by Whitehall diktat. It is proving impossible to deal with this government.”

Dan Jarvis, the mayor of Sheffield City Region, added: “Recklessly irresponsible to brief the papers but not leaders in the North who’ll somehow have to make this work. Get a grip Boris Johnson.”

The Labour leader of Nottingham City Council David Mellen also told Radio 4’s Today programme he was concerned waiting to reveal new restrictions until Monday could encourage individuals to “get out and party” in their last chance before Christmas. 

“It seems we’re victims of a government change of approach, therefore even though we’ve got very high numbers we’ve known about since the beginning of the week, we’ve got to wait until next week for government to bring in what we expect will be more restrictions in Nottingham.”

On the closure of pubs and restaurants, he added: “I think that will be difficult but we need to do what is necessary in terms of stemming the flow. 

“We need to consider whatever is put forward really, well it won’t be our consideration, the government will decide.”

Shadow business minister Lucy Powell, who represents the Manchester Central constituency, posted on Twitter: “Let's remember infections still largely occurring: inside households, then in education (mainly university) settings then health/care settings, then workplaces. In that order. Only then (and further down) do you get to hospitality and other settings…”

Referring to the prospect of pubs in northern England being shut down, she added: "It's really upsetting and a lot of anxiety for all those working in and running restaurants, pubs, bars in "the North" (that place up there where 15m of us live)."

Lisa Nandy, the shadow foreign secretary and MP for Wigan, added: “This a huge deal for businesses, jobs and families in the north of England. Leaking it to The Times is utterly disrespectful to millions of us who are already paying the price for the government’s inability to listen and learn from their mistakes.”

It follows the move from Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, who ordered the closure of all licensed pubs, bars and restaurants in the central belt area, with a 6pm curfew on indoor dining in other areas in a severe tightening of Covid-19 restrictions.

She warned that without the temporary restrictions there was “a very real risk that the virus will run out of control by the end of this month”. 

“With them, we hope to slow down its spread,” she said. “That will help us keep schools and businesses, including hospitality businesses, open over the winter. And fundamentally, it will also save lives.”

Pressed on the new restrictions on Thursday, Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, told Sky News: “The Scottish government chose to make their own decisions. Our preference would be to have a UK-wide approach but we understand that the path of the virus is different in different parts of the country.

“We’re trying to take a regional and proportionate approach and that means reviewing the passage of the virus in each part of the country. It is true the virus is rising in terms of number of cases quite significantly in parts in the north-west, in the north-east and in a number of other cities like Nottingham. 

“We are currently considering what the right action would be to take in those places and will make a conclusion on that as soon as we can.”