The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has warned the north’s economy could become ‘levelled down’ if it doesn’t receive support over winter.
He has called for a ‘local furlough’ scheme for locked-down areas such as Bolton and an urgent review of the 10pm curfew, which he said is “damaging hospitality” and “potentially not preventing people mixing without social distancing”.
It comes as he warned people are becoming “increasingly confused by complex and contradictory” lockdown rules.
He said: “I don’t envy the Government as it tries to find a way through a very difficult situation.
“But we have arrived at a position where people living in areas under local restrictions are understandably confused about the rules.
“They are too complex and there has been too much chopping and changing.
“We urgently need to simplify and clarify them to build greater public understanding and buy-in ahead of the winter.”
Mr Burnham said there was an “increasing sense of unfairness” in the way local restriction have been applied.
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“It cannot be right to close down people’s place of work without providing sufficient support for them or for the businesses affected.
“The current payments are extremely low and not enough to save businesses from closure.
“If the North faces a winter of restrictions without support, it is clear that our economy will be levelled down not levelled up.”
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Mr Burnham said local changes to rules are being introduced without “sufficient alignment” or explanation of what they mean for different areas.
The Mayor said a new tier system could help to clarify the rules and secure greater public buy-in to them and called for local and regional leaders to be involved in its design.
Greater Manchester has been under local restrictions for eight weeks, which Mr Burnham said is having an impact on the economy, with little additional support provided.