“Their attitude now is: ‘you’ll get what we give you.'”
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham arrived at Bridgewater Hall on Tuesday afternoon to share some bad news.
There would be no deal for the North-West region – with local leaders unable to come to an agreement despite 11 days of negotiations.
Greater Manchester would be placed into Tier 3 by force instead – and have extra measures imposed at the stroke of midnight on Thursday evening.
But there was no hint of a defeatist attitude in Burnham’s address.
The Mayor opened the press conference with typical, politician-like professionalism, but as the conference wore on, his tone became bullish, and eventually angry.
Flanked by members of his local councils, Burnham passionately defended his region and claimed the fight would go on.
“It cannot be right to close businesses without proper support so they can look after themselves and their families through a very challenging winter that lies ahead of us,” he told reporters.
[This] was not about what we wanted. It was about what we needed.
“The government should realise that, if they are asking people to close down places of work, they have to fully support them.
“The ‘whatever it takes’ attitude from earlier this year has gone. Now it is ‘you’ll get what we give you’.”
From 00.01 Friday, in every Greater Manchester borough, pubs and bars that do not serve substantial meals will need to close.
Betting shops, casinos, bingo halls, adult gaming centres and soft play areas must also shut.
There is also a total ban on household mixing with people discouraged from travelling in/out of the area.
You haven’t got this quite right Chris.
We asked for £90m – which is the cost of an 80% furlough & self-employed scheme.
We were offered £60m – 66% of our ask, the same that pub staff in Heywood & Middleton are deemed to be worth.
To cope with the incoming “hardship” of Tier 3, local leaders requested £90m – a demand which was eventually lowered to £65m (which Burnham called the “bare minimum”).
The government offered Greater Manchester £60m and refused to go any higher.
Hours later, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he would impose Tier 3 measures on Greater Manchester with £28m of initial support.
The £60m deal – which Health Secretary Matt Hancock insists is “fair” – remains on the table.
Negotiations will continue.
But in the meantime, Greater Manchester has reacted. And so has the rest of the country.
Down south, a mock London Underground board was created with the message “London stands with Manchester”, whilst Labour Leader Kier Starmer called the government’s treatment of the North West a “disgrace”, claiming his party would force Parliament to vote for a fair deal for communities facing restrictions.
Liverpool mayor Steve Rotherham – whose region is already under Tier 3 restrictions – emphasised there was “solidarity” in the north, criticising the government for “making us fight for millions.”
Within Manchester itself, the mood was one of frustration and disappointment.
Sacha Lord described himself as “speechless” at the government’s actions, claiming it was a “total disregard for the relentless work Andy Burnham and our Leaders have done to keep people in our City region from poverty.”
Wigan MP Lisa Nandy also expressed her irritation, claiming it “feels like this Government is actively working against us to inflict harm on its citizens”.
Angry. Disappointed. Speechless.
A total disregard for the relentless work @AndyBurnhamGM and our Leaders have done to keep people in our City region from poverty.
I will make my feelings on this shambolic Government decision clear tomorrow.
Burnham has repeatedly claimed that getting a good deal has been about “more than Greater Manchester.”
The Liverpool ECHO’s political correspondent Liam Thorp described the Mayor as “standing up for local government that has been battered and criminally underfunded for the past 10 years.”
And the flood of support that’s come in for Greater Manchester suggests that Burnham’s actions have indeed struck a chord.
Yesterday’s midday deadline was provided by the government in an attempt to end the tier saga. But the reaction this morning demonstrates that this is far from over.
When talks do finally conclude, whenever that will be, this episode won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
News
UK’s ‘most dangerous’ road near Greater Manchester to undergo £7.6m safety improvements
Emily Sergeant
Snake Pass, what is known as the UK’s ‘most dangerous’ road, has received £7.6 million in funding to improve its safety.
The infamous road connecting Manchester and Sheffield – which is said to be used by more than 30,000 vehicles each week – is the highest road in Derbyshire, and is known for including a series of steep bends, twists, and blind junctions, hence being given the nickname of the UK’s ‘most dangerous’ route.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated £7.6 million from its ‘Safer Roads Fund’ to improve safety along the 23-mile stretch of the A57 between Glossop and Sheffield.
Snake Pass is also, sadly, known for its frequent collisions data – with records indicating that, between 2018 and 2023, there were five fatalities, 62 ‘serious;, and 102 slight collision casualties.
Historical records also suggest that landslips have taken place along the Snake Pass for decades, with road closures dating back at least 90 years.
‼️Today, @transportgovuk has awarded £7.6 million from the Safer Roads Fund, to make major safety improvements to the #A57#SnakePass. We’ll be using the money to introduce major safety improvements along a 23-mile stretch of the A57 between Glossop and Sheffield. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/IrpmJpDfXl
Proposed safety improvements to be carried out include the installation of up to 10 average speed camera sites along the route, with speed limit reminder signs, and the improving the junction of the A57 and Manor Park Road in Glossop by narrowing the road so it reduces the time it takes for pedestrians to cross.
More pedestrian crossings will be installed at the Dinting Vale viaduct to provide a safer walking route to the railway station
Advanced ‘road restraint’ safety barriers, which are designed to prevent motorcyclists sliding under existing safety barriers and reduce potential injuries, will also be installed, alongside anti-skid friction surfacing at bends and existing collisions sites to help minimise braking distances.
Snake Pass will be undergoing to undergo £7.6m safety improvements / Credit: Geograph (via Wikipedia Commons)
Councillor Charlotte Hill, who is the Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways, and Transport at Derbyshire Council says Snake Pass is a ‘major tourist route’ and a ‘key economic connection’ for the North.
“We have already carried out a number of safety improvements along the route, but a more holistic solution is required to save lives and change road user attitudes and behaviour along this challenging stretch of road.
“Using our experience gained from similar challenging routes in the county, we will now be able to finalise our proposals for the Snake Pass, in readiness for a public consultation later this year.
“We look forward to being able to deliver a step change in road safety and reduce casualties along this significant route.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Oasis 25: Heaton Park send off Oasis like only Manchester could – with biblical rain
Clementine Hall
Oasis are well and truly back on top as they performed for the final night at Heaton Park and what could still be the very last time in Manchester.
There are countless moments every night that show how uniting this full-on cultural moment has been.
The guy in the wheelchair being lifted overhead by a group of strangers for a better view. The couple getting engaged before being enveloped in a sea of bucket hats. The thousands of people gathering on ‘Gallagher Hill’ every night just to be close to this historic music event.
Then the celeb-spotting too: Jack Grealish, Shaun Ryder and Andy Whyment off Corrie in the same frame of a video; Orlando Bloom waving at fans. Liam and Noel’s kids all together on a big cousins’ night out. It’s had it all.
For a lot of Mancs, the Oasis reunion has felt like Christmas morning ever since it was announced last year following a number of post-gig teasers like that Blossoms headliner at Wythenshawe Park.
And it certainly felt like that as we braved the soggy ground over at Heaton Park for their fifth and final live show in Manchester.
The atmosphere in the crowd was almost surreal, a mass of Britpop-loving super fans who have been waiting for this exact moment for almost twenty years – and you could tell.
As the brothers strutted on stage, hand in hand, a feeling of euphoric joy surged from the crowd of 80,000.
For two hours, they deliver anthem after anthem, each song transcending generations as the older lot look back to their ‘Live Forever’ days and the youth can’t quite wrap their head around the band in front of them being here and now.
Oasis’ final night at Heaton Park was everything we dreamed it would be. (Credit: Audio North)
Oasis are just as good as ever; Liam’s gritty vocals and Noel‘s ripping guitar slot together perfectly as though they were made for one another.
They’re loud and they’re unapologetic, they are the sound of the people, and we were absolutely lapping it up.
Every song was a hit, from bangers like ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’ to fan favourite ‘Live Forever’, and of course ‘Wonderwall’, the brothers gave the people exactly what they wanted.
Liam, maracas in hand and parka zipped to the top, not only might be the coolest man to walk the planet, but was undoubtedly born to be a frontman of a band. The head nods, the frowning eyebrows, the fists clenched behind his back – we were fully gripped by his sheer stage presence.
Images: The Manc Group
There was a moment where he put the tambourine in his mouth, closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky, taking it all in and getting lost in the music – an icon.
And of course, in true Manc fashion, the heavens opened an hour into their set as the grey cloud everyone had an eye on took centre stage.
Did we care? No, we did not. It only made the moment that more special as we united as one unit, singing as loud as we could to combat the elements.
It’s clear to see how much Oasis means to so many; their music is embedded into the national psyche with a presence that simply defines generations.
Who knows when they’ll be performing back in Manchester again, and if this was their last time, then they can rest assured that by returning, they’ve made themselves the biggest band in the world again. And that’s an accolade they truly deserve.
The Manc -
21st October 2020 
