Manchester lockdown: Boris Johnson warns more people will die of covid because Andy Burnham is resisting Tier 3

BORIS Johnson has warned more Brits could die over Andy Burnham resisting a Tier Three lockdown in Greater Manchester.

The PM vowed to roll out 15-minute Covid tests to the city – if it accepts his clampdown.

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In a blistering attack, the PM said Manchester's hospitals are filling up with coronavirus patients as their Mayor shirks his responsibility.

He told a No10 press conference: “I urge the Mayor to reconsider and engage constructively.

“I cannot stress enough – time is of the essence.

“Each day that passes before action is taken means more people will go to hospital, more people will end up in intensive care, and tragically more people will die.

“Of course if agreement cannot be reached, I will need to intervene in order to protect Manchester’s hospitals and to save the lives of Manchester’s residents.”

SHIRKING RESPONSILITY

He warned England may be plunged back into the “bad old days” of a national lockdown if local leaders blocked his system of local restrictions.

Turning the screw on Mr Burnham, the PM said his public health bosses will only get access to new tests if he accepts being moved into the "very high" alert level.

Boris said: “Over the next few weeks we will start distributing and trialling these tests across the country.

“We will make tests available to local directors of public health to help control localised outbreaks - handing more control from London to all parts of our country so that those on the ground can use the tools we give them as they think best.

“And I have instructed my team to ensure that Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, and any other areas which enter into the Very High alert level are immediately prioritised for those tests.

'TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE'

“This will make a big difference in how we protect people from this disease.”

Mr Johnson had blasted the Mayor for a lack of "leadership" as their war of words exploded.

The PM said this evening "we have not reached a decision with Manchester" but warned "the national Government must reserve the right to step in".

"(Bringing in new restrictions) are far from pain free and it means a difficult time for those in that great place of the country on top of the restrictions they've already had to endure.

"You called for more draconian measures - be in no doubt the Government stands ready to apply those measures as soon as we think they're necessary."

Mr Johnson revealed cases in the region are now at 690 cases per 100,000 for those aged between 16 to 29 year old, and have jumped to 224 cases per 100,000 for the most at-risk age group - the over 60s.

And he warned the number of coronavirus patients in ICU beds are already 40 per cent of what they were at the height of the first wave.

It comes as the R rate climbed up even higher today, reaching between 1.3 to 1.5 across the country.

The PM scolded Labour politicians for demanding a national "circuit breaker" lockdown, saying "closing businesses in Cornwall, where transmission is low, will not cut transmission in Manchester."

He tried to rekindle the spirit of national unity in the first lockdown, urging Brits to work together to stop coronavirus spreading across the country.

And chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance issued his own warning to dithering local leaders, saying fast action was essential.

"These are horrendously difficult decisions and there are harms on both sides.

"From a purely epidemiological point of view, it is important to go quite fast on this, it is important to make sure you go hard enough to get the R below 1 and the sooner you do that the sooner you get this under control."

Mr Burnham and all 10 Greater Manchester council leaders later hit back, saying they are “ready to meet at any time to try to agree a way forward”.

“We are not convinced that closing hospitality venues is the only way to protect hospitals," they said.

"We want to look at other measures such as reinstating shielding arrangements and introducing tougher instant closure powers on non-compliant pubs, restaurants, shops and other business premises.

"We firmly believe that protecting health is about more than controlling the virus and requires proper support for people whose lives would be severely affected by a Tier 3 lockdown.

“We do not believe that the current proposals provide adequate support and that is why we await further talks with the Government.”

A spokesperson for Lancashire confirmed their deal with Downing Street this morning, meaning 1.5 million people will be slapped with further curbs.

Ministers are understood to be giving the region an extra financial package worth as much as £42million as part of their deal to accept Tier 3 restrictions.

Bars and pubs in Lancashire will have to close unless they can operate as restaurants.

And casinos, bingo halls, bookmakers, betting shops, and soft play areas will also have to shut.

But gyms will be allowed to stay open, unlike in Liverpool, where they have been forced to shut up shop.

Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson has kicked up over the different rules, saying: "Liverpool City Region has demanded immediate clarification on why Lancashire Gyms are allowed to stay open and Liverpools close."

Dominic Raab said it would be a "last resort" to force Manchester into further lockdown without their support as 11th hour talks over Mr Burnham's financial demands continued this morning.

In a blistering attack on the Manchester mayor, Mr Raab accused him of trying to hold the Government "over a barrel" and said they'll keep powers to push Northern hotspots into lockdown "in reserve".

A furious Mr Burnham rejected the Tier 3 plans yesterday, saying they were being used as "canaries in the coal mine" and jobs in the North were being "sacrificed to save them elsewhere".

Earlier today the Foreign Secretary told Mr Burnham the Government wouldn't let him "pull up the drawbridge".

Mr Raab told the BBC this morning: "We'll hold in reserve the ability to (impose measures on Manchester).

"We've strived with every sinew to work with local authorities. We'd like to get there with Andy Burnham and with Manchester, and in most places talks are ongoing."

Ministers believe Mr Johnson’s expected announcement today would isolate the Labour mayor - who refused to accept the high-risk area restrictions until he receives a bailout.

Mr Burnham said he wanted an 80 per cent furlough scheme for all affected workers, 80 per cent income support for the self-employed and a proper compensation scheme for businesses in the event of a Tier 3 lockdown.

It comes as:

• Eight more areas were moved into Tier two lockdowns, including Greater London
• 'Overstretched' cops say they won't enforce Wales' England travel ban
• Scotland could join Wales in banned travellers from UK Covid hotspots
• Half of brits are now living in Tier 2 or 3
• No action will be taken against travelling SNP MP Margaret Ferrier

Mr Burnham issued a joint statement with Liverpool City mayor Steve Rotheram and North Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll on the inadequacy of the Government's financial offer this morning.

They said: “The Government is claiming that the North is divided and only interested in getting what we can for our own region.

"That is simply not the case. We are all united in fighting for an 80% furlough scheme for all people affected by regional lockdowns wherever they are in the country.

"Paying two-thirds of salaries will not be enough to protect the jobs of thousands – it should at least match the 80% that was available under furlough, with the minimum wage as the minimum support."

Talks with the Northern leaders collapsed yesterday after health minister Helen Whately failed to bring local MPs on board with new restrictions.

Mr Raab urged the mayor to put politics aside, saying: "Andy Burnham is effectively trying to hold the Government over a barrel over money and over politics.

"When actually we need to take action, the cases are 470 cases per 100,000 so its very serious.

"There have been all sorts of discussions with Manchester."

Andy Burnham is effectively trying to hold the Government over a barrel over money and over politics.

Dominic Raab

The Foreign Secretary warned the Government was not going to respond to ultimatums issued by the Mayor.

"If Andy Burnham is just pulling up the drawbridge and saying we're not going to proceed unless more money is coming in.

"We can't have a situation where Andy Burnham is saying unless you give us what you want, we're not going to follow the new rules."

New measures imposed on Manchester would see pubs close and prevent households from mixing even in gardens.

Another 11 .5million Brits will be under draconian controls as London, much of Essex and large parts of the North are put into Tier Two restrictions.

The latest measures in England, which will see half of the country in lockdown, sparked fury among Tory MPs who accused the PM of smuggling in a national lockdown by the back door.

They believe Mr Johnson has sacrificed businesses in the capital to kill off claims he was punishing the North with a stricter lockdown.

But last night No 10 angrily rejected the claim, warning the virus numbers are going the wrong way in the capital.

'WE MUST ACT'

In the North, Tories dramatically united with Labour in Manchester and Lancashire to defy a No 10 bid to slap them with even tougher restrictions yesterday.

York, Chesterfield, Elmbridge in Surrey, Barrow-in-Furness, North East Derbyshire and Erewash in Derbyshire, will also all go into Tier Two from 12.01am tomorrow.

People will be banned from meeting indoors anyone with whom they do not live.

One ICU doctor in Manchester said leaders have to "shut up" and "shut down now" to stop the city's hospitals reaching breaking point as people keep dying from coronavirus.

He told Sky News: "Why don't these politicians get it? 24 hours on and we're still in the same position. Hospitals are filling up.

"Can't they just accept the deal and sort the money out later? People are dying. These local leaders need to shut up and shut down, now!"

It comes after the Health Secretary told leaders to put "party politics aside" and agree extra measures to control the virus.

He said: "We must act. The situation in the North West of England is severe.

"The number of cases is rising exponentially. The number of people in hospital with Covid has doubled in just the last 12 days."

As part of the onslaught of rhetoric from ministers, Mr Hancock yesterday urged local leaders to "set aside this party politics" and "work with us to put in place the measures that are needed in Greater Manchester, across the north west, so that we can deal with this virus and support people through it".

He told ITV News yesterday: "This is a time for people to come together so that we can control this virus."

Mr Burnham launched a blistering attack on Downing Street's plans while flanked by fellow leaders in the city on Thursday.

MPs, leaders and No10's talks broke down amid fire and fury as they failed to thrash out a financial deal for the region. 

The furious mayor said: "The only certain thing to work is a national lockdown.

"The Government told us this morning it is unwilling to do that due to the damage it will do to the national economy and yet... they are willing to sacrifice jobs and businesses here to try and save them elsewhere."

Mr Burnham ended his fiery statement by adamantly saying: "It won't work.

"It will level down the regions and make the recovery much harder. This is an important moment, Greater Manchester will stand firm.

"We are fighting back for fairness and for the health of our people in the broadest sense."

Around 1.5 million people living in the Liverpool City region are already in Tier 3.

The Government ultimately has the power to make the decision regardless, but had wanted to "take regional leaders" with them when imposing Tier 2 and 3 measures.

After making his furious position clear, Mr Burnham said: "[It] is a decision for the Government. The ball is in their court, they will have to decide."

Amid tense discussions with ministers Lucy Powell, Labour MP for Manchester Central, said earlier there was "unanimous fury" over "the process, the evidence base and the economic support" offered.

She argued Manchester has "lived in tier two for weeks now and it has not worked".

'WE DO NOT ACCEPT'

Tory ministers also slammed the tough measures yesterday, with William Wragg, for Hazel Grove in south Manchester, saying: "The meeting we had earlier today was entirely pointless and we may as well have talked to a wall quite frankly. 

“The closure of hospitality will drive people into private dwellings where they will mix, we do not thank goodness live in a police state for that is the only way to police it.

"Can they please listen to common sense and think again?”