Andy Burnham to attend government meeting this morning to finalise Greater Manchester rules
Burnham is set for a meeting with the government later this morning (15 October) to learn the fate of Greater Manchester - which could be moved to Tier 3.
Mayor Andy Burnham will attend a government meeting this morning to learn the fate of Greater Manchester – which could be moved up to the highest local COVID alert risk category.
The region’s leaders and hospitality members fiercely campaigned against the region being placed into Tier 3 – essentially a local lockdown – when the new tier system was announced on Monday (12 October).
And they appeared to have won.
Later that afternoon, in the House of Commons, Boris Johnson confirmed that only Liverpool City Region would be ranked within the ‘very high’ risk category – with Greater Manchester instead placed in Tier 2.
But within hours, discussions were already taking place as to whether Greater Manchester (along with Lancashire, our Tier 2 and geographical neighbours) should in fact be reclassified.
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A move to Tier 3 would mean the closure of pubs and bars (that do not serve food), gyms and bookmakers, as well as a complete ban on all household mixing.
But local leaders have pledged to fight the restrictions all over again – even threatening legal action.
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“Since one meeting on Friday, the Government has not discussed these matters with us,” Mayor Andy Bunrham stated.
“Instead, the pressure is being piled on via media briefings. Later today I will set out why the current Tier 3 proposal is fundamentally flawed and why we won’t accept it.”
Despite saying he would make no comment until Thursday’s meeting, Burnham said he “felt compelled to do so” after hearing the news.
“At no point during tonight’s briefing was this news communicated to us,” he tweeted.
“Media told first once again. Our position has not changed.”
Said I wasn’t going to comment but now feel compelled to do so on the back of this Government briefing.
At no point during tonight’s briefing was this news communicated to us. Media told first once again. Our position has not changed. pic.twitter.com/A9V3Tbdisv
Burnham is set for a meeting with the government later this morning (15 October) to learn the fate of Greater Manchester.
Manchester MPs will be talking to the Minister of State Helen Whatley at 10.45am.
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This could be the second time the government has rapidly changed measures for Greater Manchester just hours after making them law.
Back in September, ministers announced they would lift restrictions in Bolton and Trafford – which included a ban on households mixing indoors – only to reimpose these rules on the same day both boroughs were due to be released.
Following the meetings with local MPs this morning, Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to provide an official update in the House of Commons.
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UK set to be battered by storms as ‘unprecedented’ El Niño arrives this autumn
Emily Sergeant
The UK is being told to brace for a series of storms this autumn when the ‘unprecedented’ El Niño weather event arrives.
It’s already been a summer of extremes for the country, with multiple heatwaves over the past couple of months, but now it appears that autumn and winter are set to have some extremes of their own, as the Met Office is warning that this upcoming El Niño could be one of the most significant in recent memory.
El Niño is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5°C above the long-term average, which therefore impacts global rainfall patterns and average temperatures.
The natural warming of sea temperatures is forecast to reach more than 3°C in the coming months, according to the Met Office, making this year’s weather event have the potential to be ‘the largest since the 19th century’.
The UK is set to be battered by storms as ‘unprecedented’ El Niño arrives this autumn / Credit: Johannes Plenio (via Unsplash)
El Niño will create a heightened risk of drought in the tropics, southern Africa, and north eastern Australia, but over in north western Europe – including the UK – it means we are likely to experience wetter and stormier conditions.
The UK, and of course Greater Manchester, is absolutely no stranger to a storm around this time of year, but forecasters say this could be an entirely different beast.
“We should be clear that this is an unprecedented event,” warned Professor Adam Scaife, who is the Head of Long Range Forecasting at the Met Office.
“I have never seen an El Nino signal this intense in our forecasts.”
Professor Scaife concluded: “A typical El Nino leads to an equatorial Pacific sea-surface temperature rise of between one to 2°C, with 2°C being a really big event. This implies that, if the forecast is accurate, and other forecast systems show similar extreme values, then 2026 will far exceed our recent experience of El Niño and its worldwide climate influences.’
Forecasters and officials, however, have warned that it could take months of sustained rainfall before rivers, reservoirs, and groundwaters are ‘completely replenished’ – which is when a drought can officially be declared as over.
It also warned drought conditions could persist into the new year as, despite El Niño, as current forecasts do not suggest this autumn will have the amount of rainfall needed to drive recovery.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Hundreds of staff to strike at four Greater Manchester hospitals next week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week.
More than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – are walking out for three days next week after union UNISON says an offer to ‘resolve’ a dispute was withdrawn before discussions could take place.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 24, Wednesday 26, and Friday 28 August.
In particular, staff from all four sites will also gather in Salford on Wednesday (26 August) for a ‘unified’ day of protest.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
“Those at the top of NCA have shown a lack of leadership and made their disregard for their staff clear,” explained UNISON North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan.
“A deal was put on the table but taken away before we had chance to talk it over. We are ready to continue negotiations, but it’s obvious NCA has no intention of resolving this.
“This isn’t complicated. Staff are simply asking for what their contract says they’re entitled to. Nothing more.”
The Manc -
15th October 2020 
