Greater Manchester Tier 3 'huge blow' for hospitality says trade body
Greater Manchester being subjected to harsher coronavirus restrictions has been labelled a "huge blow" by hospitality bosses.
From the early hours of Friday, pubs and bars will be closed, unless they are serving substantial meals, for a 28-day period, along with betting shops, casinos, bingo halls, adult gaming centres and soft play areas, in the northern English region.
The Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the "door is open" to further discussions with local leaders regarding business support, after only £22 million in financial help was confirmed for the area so far.
Reacting to the news, UKHospitality boss Kate Nicholls said: "This is another huge blow for our sector and a very bitter disappointment for hospitality businesses in Manchester. These businesses are either operating under extreme restrictions or closed altogether and this will only increase the pressure.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the Government had no choice but to put the region into Tier 3 after mayor Andy Burnham rejected an offer of £60 million.
He said the money was still available and invited council leaders in the region to approach him directly for a share.
"The money is still there. It's got Greater Manchester's name on it," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
"We have had very productive conversations with the local council leaders in recent days. The council leaders can come to me, my door is open."
Five things we learned from Boris Johnson's briefing as Greater Manchester moves into Tier
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said Health Secretary Matt Hancock had told Greater Manchester MPs on Monday that there would not now be a "single penny" for the region other than the £22 million the Government was providing for test and trace.
"That story seems to have changed overnight," she told the Today programme.
"As it currently stands we are going into Tier 3 - the highest level of restrictions - on Friday and there are people in Greater Manchester who will not survive this unless the Government starts to negotiate in good faith," she said.
Mr Burnham had said yesterday that political leaders in the region had estimated that £65 million was the "bare minimum" needed to get to the end of the financial year, however the government "refused to accept this".