We saw the Prime Minister announce in October the new three-tier system, under which every area of the country will be classified as ‘medium’, ‘high’ or ‘very high’ risk during the continuing COVID-19 crisis.
‘Medium’ means current national rules, ‘high’ means additional restrictions on household mixing indoors, and ‘very high’ means no household mixing indoors or outdoors plus business closures.
“With no real consultation with local leaders or their own MPs, it’s a joke”
For me in Oldham, it is a relaxation of our local lockdown rules which, when you look at the numbers, beggars belief. I suspect by the time you read this, Greater Manchester will be tier three. We shall see.
I am no fan of metro mayors, as you know, but the Tories must be kicking themselves over how much they are over the media – alongside council leaders – slamming the Government’s plans.
With no real consultation with local leaders or their own MPs, and little transparency over data and decision-making, it’s a joke. But a joke that is not funny and people will die as a result.
Labour abstentions on crucial matters relating to this issue and the renewal of the COVID-19 restrictions mean it has been left to the Liberal Democrats locally and nationally to highlight the faults and problems of the plans, from focused curfews to confused messages, to arbitrary area and regional boundaries and stupid deadlines.
Interesting times for all the wrong reasons.