Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak unveiled his first Budget for 2021 yesterday.
For those somewhat unfamiliar with the term and why its bi-annual unveiling often carries such significance for the country, the Budget – which is formally known as the Financial Statement – is a statement made to the House of Commons by the Chancellor twice a year.
Yesterday’s statement outlined the current state of the economy in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and gave the government’s proposals for changes to taxation in the upcoming period.
The Chancellor also made forecasts for the economy by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
As is to be expected after many businesses have only been permitted to trade for a few months, or have remained closed entirely, since Britain was first forced into lockdown last March, and with an ‘irreversible’ roadmap to reopen the economy now published, millions had been speculating as to whether financial support will remain available – and how the country will get back on its feet.
So, there was a lot to unpack after yesterday’s announcement.
An important moment is upon us. A moment of challenge and of change.
If you’re looking for a round-up of everything Mr Sunak said, then we’ve covered that in full here, but now that the dust has settled the morning after, how do Greater Manchester’s leaders, MPs, and prominent figures feel about the measures unveiled during the announcement?
What positives have they picked out, what criticisms have been highlighted, and how do they feel about the upcoming year ahead?
Here’s everything we know so far.
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Andy Burnham
Mayor of Greater Manchester
Speaking in his weekly online press conference yesterday afternoon, Mr Burnham – Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester – provided his take on the Budget announcement by first saying that he “would describe it as a packet of Polos – in some ways refreshing, but also full of holes”.
He then welcomed the announcement on support for self-employed people and the extension of furlough, among others, but then went on to acknowledge that many people have “not had their plight recognised” in the Budget and remain excluded from public support.
He said: “In Greater Manchester terms, we estimate that 100,000 people are still in the category of excluded from public support.”
“That’s a lot of people struggling.”
?️ “I think there were some refreshing parts of this budget, but the holes were those big commitments to the strategic investment that the North of England needs.” says Mayor Andy Burnham
You can find Mr Burnham’s full comments on the 2021 Budget announcement via the official @MayorofGM Twitter thread from yesterday’s conference here.
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Sacha Lord
Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser, and co-founder of Warehouse Project and Parklife
Following several early reports emerging ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget unveiling yesterday, and in light of the “landmark victory for hospitality” where it was announced that the government intends to drop the ‘substantial meal’ clause from its roadmap, thanks directly to his legal challenge, Sacha Lord earlier admitted on Twitter that the announcement “could be the biggest announcement for hospitality and events in our lifetime”.
He also said it would be “make or break for many who have managed to make it this far”.
In response to the announcement, Mr Lord initially said that yesterday’s Budget is “very welcome and supportive for hospitality across the UK” and added that operators in the region’s hospitality sector would be “waking up with renewed hope”.
But then raised a concerns surrounding additional help that will be needed for freelance workers going forward and also questioned why “we still don’t have a government-backed COVID indemnity insurance policy for events”, saying that this is “critical” and that he will “continue to drive this through”.
Overall, I'm pleased today. Recovery will be slow and steady so the furlough extension is a welcome move and will save thousands of jobs. Business rate and hospitality VAT measures will also be a lifeline too many. Operators will be waking up tomorrow with renewed hope.
.@andyburnhamgm and I have continually called for support for the 3 million freelancers who have been excluded from any financial aid – many of these work within the night time economy. Today, over 600,000 have been helped. A good start, but clearly much much more to be done.
Concerned we still don't have a Government-backed COVID indemnity insurance policy for events. It's critical and hundreds of events, including weddings are relying on this. I know Westminster and the Treasury are considering it, so I will continue to drive this through.
You can further comment from Mr Lord on the 2021 Budget announcement via Twitter here.
You can also find a brief run down of the announcements in the Budget related to the local Night Time Economy sector via the Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Office Twitter thread here.
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Lou Cordwell
Chair of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership (GMLEP)
Also speaking live at Mayor Andy Burnham’s virtual press conference yesterday afternoon, Lou Cordwell – Chair of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership (GMLEP) – offered her stance on the Budget announcement, starting by saying: “It’s good to see support for those sectors that have suffered the most [and] the extension of the furlough scheme is incredibly welcome”, and that she was “delighted” with the news that Liverpool City Region – which also includes Port Salford – had been successful in its Freeport bid.
“There is a strong sense of collaboration across our city-regions, and it’s a great example of pan-North West collaboration.” she added.
She also addressed the issue of Corporation Tax, and said: “The big area that we hoped to see more on is around the importance of research and innovation in the economy, and particularly in green, which is going to play an important part in our economy in the coming years.”
?️ “It's incredibly important that we as a place are investable and we have projects and initiatives that can be invested in.”@Loucordwell chair of @GMLEP talks about economic recovery at today’s press conference
You can further comment from Ms Cordwell on the 2021 Budget announcement via the official @GMLEP Twitter thread here.
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Chris Fletcher
Director of Policy and Communications at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC)
First taking to Twitter to give his initial response to the Chancellor’s Budget announcement yesterday afternoon, Christ Fletcher – Director of Policy and Communications at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) – said it was “time [for me] to hit the red book for the details” and gave his initial impression as “decent at short term offsetting COVID impact, but feels a bit lacklustre longer term”.
So as the Chancellor sits down after #Budget2021 speech – I make it 52 minutes – time to hit the red book for the details. Initial impression, decent at short term offsetting Covid impact but feels a bit lacklustre longer term. More to come….
He then later stated in full: “There was an awful lot riding on the content of today’s Budget, especially for those businesses still struggling with the impact of COVID, such as the hospitality and tourism sectors [and] the first part of the Chancellor’s speech would have given them and others some comfort with the expected extension of the furlough scheme to June then a tapering off until September, supporting this are new rounds of grant monies and business rate reductions.
“The phasing of VAT will also bring some relief [and] alongside new measures to help businesses recruit and re-open in the short term, this all seems positive, although there are still a huge number of business owners excluded from government support”.
“As we approach the first anniversary of lockdown, this is far from acceptable.” he added.
You can full comment from Mr Fletcher on behalf of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) regarding the 2021 Budget announcement here.
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Greater Manchester MPs
A round-up of social media reaction to the Budget 2021 announcement by a number of MPs across Greater Manchester’s constituancies.
Lucy Powell – Labour MP for Manchester Central
Excellent response by @Keir_Starmer exposing that, for all its glitz, this Budget completely fails to fix the broken foundations of the economy: inequality, insecurity and public services like social care exposed during COVID. No real agenda for green recovery or levelling up
While the minimum, emergency action for hospitality & others is there, gaping holes in #Budget remain. Nothing for supply chain & events/weddings, key sectors hard hit like automotive, aerospace, steel, & no long term investment to transition to green like competitor countries
Barbara Keeley – Labour MP for Worsley and Eccles South
Its good that @RishiSunak has finally listened to campaigners and MPs so that newly self-employed can access the later stages of the grant but why so late and what about the rest of the 3 million @ExcludedUK
Hugely disappointing Budget for unpaid #carers with no mention of what they have contributed through caring through the #COVID19 pandemic. Also, no sign of a plan or reform of funding for social care. https://t.co/BUP6jFjakP
Rebecca Long-Bailey – Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton
#Budget – is this a joke? Facing the existential threat of climate change and we see so little. eg. A paltry 12bn Investment Bank, shiny retail savings products and a distant report into carbon offsetting in the City of London? A Green Industrial Revolution this is not.
– No permanent extension of the £20 Universal Credit and legacy benefits uplift – Greater Manchester must wait until 2022-3 for investment in intra-city transport – 2m+ excluded from parallel furlough scheme for self-employed#Budget2021
Today's Budget from @RishiSunak not only protects our economy and those hardest hit, but kickstarts recovery, prioritising businesses and people’s livelihoods as we emerge from the crisis. #Budget2021 ? pic.twitter.com/q9plpskaSl
A Budget that papers over the cracks. We need to learn the lessons of this pandemic, and build a strong green economy for the long term, not go back to the insecurity and inequality of the past.https://t.co/KdGfJeijQW
Buried in the small print of the budget is the news that the Communities Secretary and many of his Tory friends are the main beneficiaries of the Towns Fund, ahead of areas with far higher deprivation. They are absolutely shameless. https://t.co/0by1uGSR06
Christian Wakeford – Conservative MP for Bury South
This budget will ensure we can recover from the Coronavirus pandemic by delivering for jobs, apprentices, business, home buyers and will help boost world leading investment programs. In driving forward these spending plans we really can Build Back Better for a stronger Bury.
— Christian Wakeford MP (@Christian4BuryS) March 3, 2021
– No pay rise for NHS staff (claps were good enough in Sunak's view) – £8bn tax raid on the lowest paid with the £12.5k freeze – "Green recovery" focus as Govt plan to open a coal mine – Economic foundations still in tatters and inequality rife
— Yasmin Qureshi MP (@YasminQureshiMP) March 3, 2021
Tony Lloyd – Labour MP for Rochdale
? Read: I have written to the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, urging him to ensure that this Budget is a break from the past, repairing the economy whilst fixing our society and preparing us for our next challenge, Climate Change. ?https://t.co/KDc2Uvp7rN
Have I missed the bit where the Chancellor announced a pay rise for health and social care workers? I suppose last year's clapping will have to pay this year's bills.
A year into a pandemic the Chancellor's Budget didn't include a pay rise for NHS and social care staff who have got us through this crisis, didn't mention social care and didn't even mention sick pay.
— Debbie Abrahams MP (@Debbie_abrahams) March 3, 2021
Jim McMahon – Labour MP for Oldham West and Royton
Pretty bold of the chancellor to repeat the 'do whatever it takes', given the year that has gone with millions left unsupported, including key industries #BudgetSpeech2021
Jonathon Reynolds – Labour MP for Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley, Longdendale & Dukinfield
The Budget doesn’t get us on the road to recovery and it doesn’t ensure there is no return to the insecurities of the past#Budget21pic.twitter.com/Q3AdzCM8xN
No mention of children, their mental health or wellbeing, nothing for schools facing extra covid costs, nothing for hardworking education staff. This isn't the ambitious recovery plan we needed from the chancellor. Children always an afterthought for this gvt #Budget2021
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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News
The Manchester charity that’s championing the community one step at a time
Thomas Melia
There’s a Manchester-based charity which is helping uplift and champion communities throughout the city centre and wider Greater Manchester region.
Us Mancs certainly know a thing or two about community, whether it’s our influential music scene, football clubs, our hospitality scene and so on, but Forever Manchester takes this to the next level.
This charity has been consistently funding and supporting community initiatives throughout Greater Manchester by helping people achieve the extraordinary, all while maintaining plenty of local pride.
Forever Manchester was born from a mission to support the people and places that make Greater Manchester magic, and is all about making sure the community is at the forefront of everything they do.
Credit: Forever Manchester
The community-first charity has invested over £65 million into local communities and awarded £517,968 to over 100 different community groups.
This isn’t a new charity either, Forever Manchester has been deep in our city’s culture for quite some time since launching in 1989, most notably commissioning local poet Tony Walsh’s ‘This is the Place’.
The piece was originally published in 2012 before finding a very special place in our hearts back in 2017 when Walsh performed the poem at a vigil for the Manchester Arena attack.
This love letter to Manchester has not only gone on to become a part of the city’s history but also reaffirmed this organisation’s place throughout communities in the region.
Credit: Supplied
Now, the community-minded charity is ready to make a mark in 2025 with a whole host of initiatives, including a Forever Manchester lottery, pub quizzes, comedy nights and disco bingo.
Anyone looking to find out more information about this community-first charity and see some examples of the work it does can visit Forever Manchester’s official website.
Remember, this is a city that looks after its own – that’s the kind of energy we want to see you keeping up all year long.
And, if you have a soft spot for a tote bag or wall art prints, look no further than Forever Manchester’s shop, where every purchase directly contributes to community activities in Greater Manchester HERE.
Billie Eilish at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Billie Eilish is ready to take over Co-op Live for four nights of tear-jerking, heart-wrenching, belly-aching hits right here in Manchester.
Ms. ‘Ocean Eyes’ herself is coming to Manchester this month, and we’re on hand with all the info you need so you don’t have to ‘Guess’ anything on the day of your show.
Billie Eilish has cemented her position in the music industry as one of the leading hitmakers, and at only 23 years old, this artist has won nine Grammy Awards and racked up three UK number-one singles.
The American star has been grafting since her early teens, dropping her first ever EP, don’t smile at me, in 2017 at only 16 years old and has reached height after height ever since.
Billie Eilish gig guide
Billie Eilish is playing at Co-op Live in Manchester on 19, 20, 22 and 23 July.Credit: Press shot (supplied)
Her latest album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’, which is also the name of the tour, is Eilish’s third studio album and it’s stacked with bangers like ‘Birds of a Feather’, ‘Lunch’ and ‘Wildflower’, just to name a few.
Are there tickets left for Billie Eilish tickets in Manchester?
Anyone after tickets to any of the upcoming Billie Eilish gigs in Manchester might be in for a ‘not-so-lovely’ surprise, as you can expect, as most general tickets are sold out.
However, anyone who’s missed out on tickets for Billie’s FOUR-gig run in Manchester can still take a look at a variety of premium ticket packages.
You can grab your ‘Birds of a Feather’ and a ticket or two for the Saturday, 19 July show HERE.
Pack your ‘Lunch’ and put on your best outfit because there are exclusive tickets for the Sunday, 20 July gig HERE.
Your friends will be calling you ‘The Greatest’ when you let them know about the premium tickets still left for Tuesday, 22 July right HERE.
Finally, grab ‘L’amour De Ma Vie’ and sing your heart out with a range of hospitality tickets to choose from on Wednesday, 23 July HERE. And breathe…
Billie Eilish setlist
Chihiro
Lunch
NDA
Therefore I Am
Wildflower
when the party’s over
The Diner
ilomilo
bad guy
The Greatest
Your Power
Skinny
TV
bury a friend
Oxytocin
Guess
everything i wanted
lovely / Blue / ocean eyes (Medley)
L’amour De Ma Vie
What Was I Made For?
Happier Than Ever
Birds of a Feather
What are the stage times for Billie Eilish in Manchester?
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning concertgoers can be safe knowing ‘when the party’s over’ it won’t be well into the early hours.
Doors for ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ tour are scheduled for 6pm with support acts Syd and Magdalena Bay on hand to soundtrack your evening and leave you feeling ‘Happier Than Ever’ before Billie at 8pm.
The first act, Syd, is known for co-founding influential R’n’B band, The Internet (big fans, by the way), and has just dropped a new solo single ‘Die For This’ ahead of her Billie Eilish tour stint.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
The ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour’ will mark Billie Eilish’s first ever Co-op Live appearance.Credit: William Drumm (supplied)
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event ticket.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue,e but this must be pre-booked ahead of time and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will vary, obviously:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes via the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
The Manc -
4th March 2021 
