Boris Press Conference @ 5pm

Or growstuff you have swallowed Burnhams spin! ?

Johnson did engage with Burnham, just the other day, but since the offer was turned down by B there could be no other way than to go over his head and impose tier 3.

Jane10

Why would anyone want to 'stoke a North South divide'?

There has been a North/South divide all my life (I'm a Northerner who has lived most of my life in the South). The reason is political. It breeds resentment and divisiveness. The Conservatives will use as a blackmail tactic - vote Conservative and we'll sort out your problems - except they won't, of course.

GrannyGravy13

The 60 million is still on the table along with 20 million to help the local track and trace.

Andy Burnham is stoking the North South divide and putting political point scoring over people’s lives.

I think you'll find that stoking the North/South divide is a Cummings strategy.

GrannyGravy13

westendgirl each area in whatever tier should receive the same per capita, for example an area with 100 people would receive £100,000 and an area with 500 would receive £500,000 ( these figures are obviously just for illustrative purposes)

No, one of the most devastated areas is the City of London, which is relatively sparsely populated, but provides millions of jobs.

You're wrong lemongrove. The government wouldn't engage with him and has played politics.

Hancock has said he refuses to negotiate with Burnham, so six local Conservative MPs have stepped in and said they'll negotiate with the government. The government will hand over £60 million and make the Conservatives seem like the saviours/heroes.

It's been the government's intention from the start to undermine Burnham. The government has had the media spin machine on its side and you've swallowed it.

Yes Iam64 it will indeed be wonderful when ( 2 years hence?) the virus will be wiped out and our lives go back to normal.?
For the meantime, trying to stay healthy is our priority.

Burnham was insisting on 65 million, the 60 million was on the table and he turned it down.He was gambling and lost.
Yes, all Mayors and civic and business leaders want as much money as possible for their areas, but they also have to think of grave illness and deaths in their areas too.
22million is to help the track and trace operations there.
Other areas have had to accept the hard truths of their region, and that includes Manchester/ Greater Manchester.
It suited Burnham to have a North/South divide agenda.

westendgirl each area in whatever tier should receive the same per capita, for example an area with 100 people would receive £100,000 and an area with 500 would receive £500,000 ( these figures are obviously just for illustrative purposes)

fairview is right, Andy Burnham put his heart and should into negotiations for Greater Manchester. That's one of the reasons his popularity is soaring, we are sick of politicians who seem to lack empathy, compassion or humanity.

Granny Gravy13, I think you will find that there is a large difference in population, as other posters have said.

farview why should GM get more per capita than Liverpool or any other Town/area in Tier 3?

Andy Burnham put his heart and soul into trying to get an appropriate financial deal for GM...unfortunately he is dealing with an inept government.....

So what's the fuss all about then? Good heavens surely not political points scoring?!

The 60 million is still on the table along with 20 million to help the local track and trace.

Andy Burnham is stoking the North South divide and putting political point scoring over people’s lives.

Why would anyone want to 'stoke a North South divide'?

lemongrove, Burnham's stance was about financial support, not about the restrictions. Of course not everyone thinks he's a good mayor, it's politics init. I haven't met anyone who disagrees with his stance on financial support.
Won't it be wonderful if/when there is a vaccine and our lives can return to a less anxious place.

Burnham has been promoted above his pay grade in every post he has been given, his handling of the Stafford hospital deaths was a disgrace.
He may up to now have been ok as Mayor ( not everyone thinks he has been good) but he has completely misjudged the situation with Covid by fighting back about the restrictions.

Whitewave
Burnham announced a further independent enquiry

Some think he wanted it quietly forgotten. People hadn't forgotten that when voting in the LP leadership election.

Mr Burnham appointed Robert Francis QC to find out what went wrong at Stafford between 2005 and 2009, when hundreds of patients died needlessly and appalling standards of care were widespread.
However campaigners blame him for blocking the inquiry from being held in public – a decision that was reversed by the Tories – and for setting up a smaller and more limited investigation.
But in an interview with the Express & Star, the 43-year-old former health secretary defended his record.
Former health secretary Andy Burnham says he has no regrets over his handling of the Stafford Hospital scandal
30/11/13

vegans rock, yes - talk about playing politics indeed. WW you're right, Cummings isn't interested in facts and also I suspect he wants to stoke the north south divide.
Interesting though that standing firm with Andy Burnham are Conservative MP's and Councillors from our area.

Bolton was under very strict regulations, for longer and despite its rate dropping. The Conservative leader of the council has been working closely with Andy Burnham, supporting his stance throughout. Maybe some of those red wall tories are learning something about their constituents , I hope so.

Robert Jenricks constituency which is 250th on the deprivation list gets £25 million, £700 million given to build lorry parks, yet Manchester can’t get £65million? Talk about playing politics.

Yes, of course Manchester will need more money than cities like Liverpool, the populations don’t compare.

It was all entirely costed, but Cummings isn’t interested in facts only in winning.

I live in one of the former cotton mill towns in Gtr Manchester. Urmstongran, I expect your pals take a similar political view to you so will be anti Andy Burnham. My family and friendship group, plus random folk I met today walking our dog, the dog groomer and our window cleaner, all fulsome in their support of Andy Burnham's stand.

trisher, thanks for putting the figures on this discussion. Manchester has a bigger population than Liverpool so more cash needed.

I didn't vote for a Mayor but once that was imposed by the Conservative government, I voted for Andy Burnham. He's working hard for our city and our wider area.

Burnham became Health Secretary in 2009. That was after the Staffordshire scandal. Burnham announced a further independent enquiry.

Andy Burnham has played a dangerous game and I only hope he hasn't cost lives by causing such a delay.
There has to be parity or each city or region will hold out for more every time their infection numbers rise, until it becomes ridiculous just like Fords used to lead the unions out for higher pay until the whole country outpriced itself from world markets.
I can't say that the government hasn't made mistakes, I cant say that about any government worldwide during this pandemic but they are not to blame for everything. We, the people, were given clear guidance about hand washing, face covering, social distancing, staying at home as far as practically possible. It's not rocket science and yet so much flouting of the rules everywhere has brought as back to lockdown situations.
Andy Burnham should have used his energy and influence to convince the people of Manchester to follow the guidance in the first place, as should all local so called leaders.