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Calls for same Christmas COVID guidance in every UK country – with travel between nations ‘inevitable’

Politicians are asking Britain's nations to agree on rules ahead of the festive holidays - with the Lib Dems and Alliance Party of Northern Ireland asking for a 'four nations summit' to create Christmas COVID guidance.

The Manc The Manc - 28th October 2020

Politicians are warning that travel between nations in Britain is “inevitable” over the Christmas period – with calls for country leaders to all adopt the same guidelines during the holidays.

Currently, restrictions differ between each nation in the UK.

England and Scotland have both adopted their own tier systems, whereas Wales have entered a 17-day ‘firebreak’ lockdown similar to the one seen nationwide in March.

Northern Ireland has entered a partial lockdown.

But now there are calls for Britain’s countries to agree on rules ahead of the festive holidays – with the Lib Dems and Alliance Party of Northern Ireland asking for a ‘four nations summit’ to create co-ordinated Christmas COVID guidance.

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A letter – signed by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie, Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds and Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry – asks for “work across governments to explore workable solutions that can enable travel to happen safely.”

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Davey said: “The problem I see at the moment are different rules in different parts of the United Kingdom.

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“I think, for Christmas, there has to be a co-ordinated plan, as millions of people normally travel across the United Kingdom, across the four nations, to see their families – and they need clear guidance.

“They’re trying to plan Christmas now and they’re not getting the guidance from the government.”

Johannes Rapprich / Pexels

Responding to the calls for Christmas COVID guidance, a Downing Street spokesman said: “The PM has been clear of his ambition to ensure that people may celebrate Christmas as a family this year.

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“That’s why we have introduced a range of measures in order to control the spread of the virus, reduce the R rate and save lives.”

Under current restrictions in Greater Manchester, different households are banned from mixing indoors.

The Rule of Six – which renders gatherings of more than six people illegal – will also complicate Christmas; which is a time where many people from different areas congregate under a single roof.

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Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into foul-mouthed chaos

Danny Jones Danny Jones Tommy vs Darren Till press conference scrap chaos

The first press conference ahead of Tommy Fury vs Darren Till was held on Tuesday evening and it didn’t take long for the whole thing to descend into absolute bedlam.

Having only been confirmed on Sunday, Fury vs Till will be a homecoming bout for the Wythenshawe-born fighter who is set to headline the first-ever boxing match at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.

With the date set for 18 January, the pre-fight build-up and media frenzy are growing fast and things have already come to ahead in just the first meeting between the two fighters in London this week.

Clearly sharing plenty of bad blood already, while Tommy and Till were engaging in the usual fighting talk, the family patriarch, John Fury, decided to interject and it was at this point that things boiled over.

As you can see, amidst the various insults being thrown around regarding intelligence, boxing ability, Tommy’s older brother Tyson being “battered by [Oleksandr] Usyk”, ‘Big John’ then launches a bottle of water across the table at Till, sparking a hot-tempered on-stage skirmish.

The lengthy exchange features as many expletives as you could imagine, with 31-year-old Darren Till also threatening that he will “bladder” both Tommy and his more established heavyweight sibling Tyson, labelling the entire Fury family “shithouses” as they walk out of the London press conference.

A mixed martial artist by trade who has competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC, Till assured that even if the boxing match isn’t going his way on the night, he will kick [him] square in [the] face”, adding that he’s a “proper fighter” and that Tommy, on the other hand, has no power.

YouTube turned musician and occasional boxer, KSI – the founder of the Misfits promotion who is putting on the event and who Fury beat back in October last year – can also be heard whooping from centre stage and shouting, “Get your tickets!”

Even after the mini-brawl is separated, the foul-mouthed back and forth continues for some time. You can see another angle here:

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This isn’t the first time things have boiled over at a Fury press conference; in fact, it’s not even the first time John Fury, 59, has found himself in the very eye of the storm.

It was only back in May of this year, before his elder son’s title fight against Usyk, that he drew blood after headbutting a member of the Ukrainian’s entourage in another volatile presser.

Meanwhile, the youngest Fury son is preparing first his first fight in over a year, having nearly joined this year’s I’m a Celeb lineup instead.

Tickets for the now highly-anticipated boxing match at Co-op Live, just the second combat sports event to have been held at the arena, are on sale now – you can grab yours HERE. It’s going to be a feisty one.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — DAZN (via Screenshot)

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Manchester United’s latest Stadium Sleep Out raises £30k for the homeless and vulnerable young people

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester United stadium sleepout raises £30l for local homeless community

Man United once again held their latest ‘Stadium Sleep Out’ this past weekend and managed to raise more than £30,000 to combat homelessness and help vulnerable young people across Greater Manchester.

Truly touching stuff at such a tough time of year.

Held at Old Trafford for the last couple of years, the club’s Sleep Out initiative sees hundreds of Reds, charitable volunteers and just well-meaning Mancs, in general, descend upon the Theatre of Dreams for a magical night under the stars and the floodlights of one of the most famous stadiums in world football.

Taking place last Friday, 15 November, the third-ever stadium sleepout saw more than 120 people – including Man United players and staff, both past and present – pull out their sleeping bags and spend the night up in the stands for this crucial cause.

Raising vital funds for Centrepoint, the UK-based charity that specialises in helping vulnerable young people who are either currently or at risk of sleeping rough, as well as the local homeless community at large, those taking part amassed another £30k through generous donations.

Having raised £40k in 2023 and matched the same target amount since for their debut event back in 2021, which was instead held inside the Munich Tunnel, that’s now £100,000 raised for the non-profit – a total figure which could prove to be life-saving for many across the 10 boroughs.

Centrepoint also shared real-life experiences of hardship faced by some young people with the group huddled up inside Man United‘s home ground, as well as inviting those taking part to offer their own messages of support to those struggling, especially during the colder months.

The Manchester United Foundation’s CEO, John Shiels, also gave a reading of a poem about the fabled Busby Babes (in whose honour the organisation was created in 2007) as a commitment to the young people across Greater Manchester.

“Once again, I am humbled by the amount of support the Sleep Out has received. It’s been great to see faces old and new supporting our work, and the work of Centrepoint, as we head into the harsh winter months”, said Shiels.

“There are many young people out there currently living in dire conditions and it is our duty as a community to come together and help them. I’m delighted to see that so many people feel the same and have collectively raised a fantastic amount of money that will make a huge difference to the lives of vulnerable young people in our area.”

As you can see, former players turned club ambassadors, David May and Danny Simpson, were both in attendance to sleep over during the night and chat with fans.

Simpson, an ex-United academy graduate who retired earlier this year, said of the evening: “It’s been a pleasure to be here this evening. I feel like homelessness is a problem that is getting worse, and you see it all over the city.

“I’m a local boy, so it means something to me to try and help my community in any way I can. I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact the Foundation has and it’s been great to hear about the work Centrepoint is doing – it’s been a really positive night.”

Other club partners and sponsors such as DXC Technology, DHL, WOW HYDRATE, Cadbury also helped out on the night, either by sending members in sleeping bags to represent their companies or by gifting snacks and supplies for the long night in the cold.

It goes without saying that it warms our hearts to see Mancs pulling together for such an important issue. Better yet, the fundraising page is still open so if you want to help, you can donate HERE. Here’s hoping United smash their previous fundraising feats at the next Stadium Sleepout in 2025.

Read more:

Manchester’s 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness raises a whopping £50k for ‘A Bed Every Night’
Less than 24 hours before United hosted the 2024 Stadium Sleep Out, some other legends did their bit for Manchester’s rough sleepers.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Manchester United (supplied)

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