So, as of Friday morning we (Greater Manchester) join much of the rest of the north-west in Tier 3 restrictions. Which is what it is, don’t know what else to say, really.
But what’s galling is the games the government have been playing about the financial support for the region. Andy Burnham asks for £90m, based on £15m/month for the rest of the financial year. The government offers £60m based on ???? Burnham rejects that as not being anywhere near sufficient. Eventually, he comes down to £65m; but the government refuses to budge and we get tier 3 imposed, instead of agreed. And then the government only commits to £22m for test and trace.
This is just so, so petty and vindictive by the government. Andy Burnham’s right, IMO, to be furious. Matt Hancock claims additional support is “still on the table”. But why can’t the government just give that money if it’s available? What does Greater Manchester have to do to get the money – promise to vote Tory forever and ever?
There’s people blaming Andy Burnham for this, saying it’s all about money and his intransigence is costing lives. Why didn’t he agree to £5m less and get the deal agreed? But why should he? He’d already come down £25m from his initial starting point to a figure that, presumably, he doesn’t think is sufficient. £5m is nothing to a government – would it really have hurt them to go up that amount? Who’s really playing games here?
The other attack line seems to be, “it’s all about the money”, or “he’s putting money ahead of people’s lives”. But actually the money is important – crucial – here. People need financial support if their jobs etc. are going to be put on pause. And let’s be clear: it will be the least well-off, the ones who are able to lose less than anyone else, who will suffer most from this. This will damage, and perhaps take, people’s lives.
There’s all sorts of worrying things about this. One thing that strikes me, however: why should GM, or anywhere, be forced to take the minimum support, the lowest figure possible? In times of crisis, when businesses and livelihoods are at risk as well as people’s lives, looking to negotiate down the amount of support to the least possible is mean and small-minded. We should be looking to give people what they actually need (as much as is possible), not play this stingy, penny-pinching game that will do real damage.
Wandering Thoughts II - the Sequel 