In an address to MPs live in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson has announced a new set of targeted restrictions – which have been the topic of widespread speculation over the past week or so and particularly today – for cities and towns in England in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Each tier under the newly-announced system has its own set of rules determined by an alert level: ‘medium’ (Tier 1) ‘high’ (Tier 2), or ‘very high’ (Tier 3).
Mr Johnson said that he does not want to go into a second full national lockdown – including closing schools and businesses and telling people to stay at home – as this would not be “the right course”. He did however say that letting the virus “rip” would lead to an “intolerable death toll” and the NHS would be under such a strain that medics wouldn’t be able to devote themselves to treating other ailments.
“We must act to save lives, and the evidence shows in changing our behaviour… our actions are saving lives.” he said.
Speaking to BBC News ahead of the announcement, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said officials in the area were “glad that government has listened”.
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“We had no evidence that hospitality was the primary course of spread in our city region,” he said.
“However, it’s important to say that any restrictions will choke off trade to our pubs, restaurants, even our shops. So, any restrictions must come with a full economic support package otherwise we are going to see a risk of redundancies and business failure running up to Christmas.”
He continued by stating that he feels that Tier 2 is “still a major restriction” for Greater Manchester.
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Mr Johnson confirmed that the three tier system and the whole package of measures will also be voted on in parliament before coming into force.
Here’s how each of the three tiers work:
Tier 1
Areas that fall into Tier 1 – which Mr Johnson said “will cover most of the country” – will see residents living in these areas required to adhere to national restrictions.
This includes the “rule of six”, the 10pm curfew, and social distancing measures.
Tier 2
Tier 2 will cover areas where interventions are already in place – including in Greater Manchester – and will see all mixing between different households or support bubbles indoors stopped.
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The “rule of six” will apply outdoors, as well as in private gardens.
It has been confirmed that Nottinghamshire, Cheshire East and West, and High Peak will also move to the high alert level as part of Tier 2.
Tier 3
This is the highest alert level and will apply where transmission is rising rapidly and the NHS could be under “unbearable pressure”.
Tier 3 will see people banned from socialising with other households, both indoors and in private gardens, while bars and pubs will be closed, unless they can operate as restaurants. Residents will also be advised against travelling in and out of these areas, while it will be up local politicians as to whether other leisure venues such as gyms and casinos should also close.
However, non-essential shops, schools and universities will remain open.
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It has been confirmed that the Liverpool City Region is the first to be placed in Tier 3 and this comes after numbers have risen sharply in recent weeks, with Knowsley recording 944 cases per 100,000 people in the two weeks to 4th October (the highest in the country).
The restrictions for the Liverpool City Region will take effect from Wednesday.
Boris Johnson has announced his plan to "simplify and standardise" #COVID19 rules with a new three-tier alert system.
The First Tier will "cover most of the country" and includes most national measures, such as the rule of six and 10pm curfew.
A postcode checker will be launched on the government’s website to advise people what guidance applies to their area, and every local authority will be put in a Tier by the end of Monday.
In his final message to the country, Mr Johnson said: “The weeks and months ahead will continue to be difficult and will test the mettle of this country.”
But he adds: “I have no doubt at all that together we will succeed.”
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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A former Manchester City player has been sworn in as the new president of Georgia
Danny Jones
The country of Georgia is currently wrapped up more than 30 days of civil unrest and in the midst of it all is their new President, who also happens to be a former Manchester City player.
Yes, having been sworn into office on Sunday, 29 December, ex-Man City forward Mikheil Kavelashvili is now the President of the Eastern European nation, though the role is more of a ceremonial head of state.
Kavelashvili, now 53, only spent a fairly short spell at the club between 1996 and 1997, which was also their first year in the old First Division (now known as the Championship) after being relegated from the Premier League.
Kavelashvili is one of just four Georgian players to ever represent City, including Georgi Kinladze, Murtaz Shelia and Kakhaber Tskhadadze.
The former Man City man was appointed the President of Georgia last week.
The striker only made 28 appearances for the Blues in total, netting just three goals, but one of those did come against United in the Manchester derby towards the latter end of the 95/96 season. Fast forward about 30 years and now he’s a political figurehead.
All that being said, his appointment hasn’t exactly been a welcome one and for many, he isn’t even considered a legitimate choice for the job.
Serious protests over problematic politics
Kavelashvili is a former MP as well as a retired professional footballer but, as you can see in the video above, the ex-Man City player isn’t seen as a proper politician by a good chunk of the Georgian population.
As mentioned, the Prime Minister and the ruling party hold most of the real power given that its constitution is that of a parliamentary republic with separation between the two leading roles.
Kavelashvili was selected by said ruling party, Georgian Dream, but the decision has been boycotted by the four main opposition groups and the vast majority of the nation. Not only is he seen as an insufficiently qualified pick but allegations of election fraud and ‘EU-turning’ have sparked outrage.
Oddly enough, he’s not even the first former Man City player to turn his hand to politics, as one-time left-winger and forward George Weah was also elected the President of Liberia back in 2017, before ultimately conceding power as a much less popular figure than he started by November 2023.
What is it about Man City and politics?
George Weah (former) president of Liberia, and now, Mikheil Kavelashvili, president of Georgia.
With New Year’s morning marking 34 consecutive days of protests, the people claim Georgian Dream rigged the parliamentary elections and are trying to distance themselves from the West.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also announced that Georgia’s application to the European Union would be delayed by another four years, meaning it won’t be until 2028 that negotiations with the continental governing body can even begin, despite being stated as a goal of their revised constitution since 2017.
As per Reuters, Kobakhidze claims that EU membership could damage Georgia’s economy but the overwhelming consensus and concern among the Caucasus is that the far-right associated party are looking to strengthen ties with Russia, who still control about 20% of Georgian territory.
Protests, both peaceful and violent, continue to rage on across Georgia and by whatever strange butterfly effect, a larger forgotten former Man City player who scored just a handful of goals in one has found himself the president at the heart of it all.
Perhaps this particular demonstration in the capital of Tbilisi sums up the general sentiment towards him:
People are holding up red cards for Mikheil Kavelashvili, former football player, who Georgian Dream now inaugurates as president. pic.twitter.com/G7poS9FIik
Featured Images — Channel 4 (screenshot via YouTube)
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Neil Young pulls out of ‘corporate controlled’ Glastonbury Festival
Danny Jones
Music icon Neil Young has pulled out of Glastonbury Festival 2025 after claiming it has lost its identity and is now under “corporate” control.
The 79-year-old singer-songwriter, widely considered one of the greatest and most influential to have ever lived, was due to play the festival as one of the legends named on this year’s lineup.
However, despite lots of excitement around the veteran being given the nod over others from what has largely been seen as a pop-leaning pool (at least according to the detractors) in recent years, Young has now decided to drop out of the festival.
Neil Young’s latest ‘NYA Times Contrarian’ post explains the decision to drop out of Glastonbury.Neil Young in 2023 Credit: Screenshot (via Neil Young website)/Per Ole Hagen (via Flickr)
“The Chrome Hearts and I were looking forward to playing Glastonbury, one of my all-time favourite outdoor gigs”, it reads. “We were told that BBC was now a partner in Glastonbury and wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in.”
For context, the BBC has been partnered with Glasto since way back in 1997 and Neil Young has already headlined the festival back in 2009, so this shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise.
“It seems Glastonbury is now under corporate control and is not the way I remember it being. Thanks for coming to us the last time!”, he continues. “We will not be playing Glastonbury on this tour because it is a corporate turn-off, and not for me like it used to be.”
The message concludes with him hoping to catch fans at other venues and a simple “LOVE Neil – Be well”, but the tenor of the somewhat abrupt update is that the ever-opinionated and long-celebrated protest song-writer clearly believes the BBC‘s influence over the festival has now grown too strong.
Known not only as ‘Shakey’ and the ‘Godfather of Grunge’ but as one of the pioneering anti-establishment figures of a generation, the Canadian was previously in the headlines for demanding Spotify remove his music after taking issue with Joe Rogan’s anti-vax messaging on his show.
All that to say, the solo artist co-founding member of supergroup, Buffalo Springfield, is no stranger to taking on big business and companies if he feels he has good reason. Meanwhile, Rod Stewart will be performing in the coveted ‘Legends’ headliner slot at teatime on Sunday, 29 June.
Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts are looking set for a European tour this summer but if he’s taking on corporations and concerts under umbrella control, it seems unlikely we’ll see him at too many festivals or the likes of Co-op Live.
The better question is: do you agree – has Glastonbury Festival become too corporate and sanitised, or do you think it still upholds the same core values it had when it first popped up on Worthy Farm in 1970?
The Manc -
12th October 2020 
