WATCH: “It’s not about the size of the cheque,” says Burnham

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has criticised a rumoured £100m government lockdown support package for the area, saying: “It’s not about the size of the cheque, it’s about saving low-paid workers.”

In a Sky News interview today, Burnham said the government must set out a “fair financial framework” for Tier 3 areas and offer staff 80% of furlough wages before he can back harsher restrictions.

Burnham told the programme: “Nothing’s changed, as far as I’m concerned. It’s not about the size of the cheque, it’s about saving low-paid workers, people who are self-employed, supporting businesses and preventing them from collapsing…

“We’ve always said we will put people’s health first and we will do that but health is about more than controlling the virus. People’s mental health I think is now pretty low given that we’ve been under restrictions here for three months already.”

The Labour mayor added: “Tier 3, I think, should have a fair financial framework set out and then endorsed by parliament so that anyone in our position knows what they’re going into if they’re going into Tier 3…

“What you need to say to those people who work in pubs, people who work in betting shops, people who drive taxis, people who work on the doors on security, they need to know what this means and they need to have a guarantee that they can work from – 80% of their wages.

“And they know that will be there as long as the pubs are closed or everything else is closed. And that isn’t there at the moment. Give people that certainty, that ability to plan and don’t leave it to all these deals the government is trying to do.”

He concluded: “If the government… comes forward with a plan that protects those low paid workers, protects people who are self-employed, protects freelancers then, of course, that’s what this has all been about. But they haven’t presented that yet.”

The latest intervention comes after Burnham and a coalition of Manchester’s other local leaders issued a joint statement last week declaring their opposition to government plans to put the area under the highest level of restrictions.

In the statement with the city’s deputy mayors and ten other political leaders, Burnham said he could not support the Tier 3 measures unless the following “bare minimum” demands were met:

• “A full and fair 80% furlough for all affected workers;
• “80% income support for people who are self-employed;
• “A proper compensation scheme for businesses.”

But the government’s rumoured £100m offer today does not meet the demands. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said the region would be forced into Tier 3 restrictions from tomorrow if the leaders do not accept the package.