Pubs to close in Lancashire as tier 3 Covid strategy reluctantly accepted
Pubs and bars are to close to more than 1 million people in Lancashire after the region’s leaders reluctantly accepted the strictest tier 3 coronavirus restrictions in exchange for £42m in financial support.
One council leader complained they had been “blackmailed” into accepting the deal after Boris Johnson’s chief strategic adviser threatened to withhold cash from any district council unhappy with the offer.
Announcing the deal, the government said it had promised to give Lancashire “a support package worth £12m” plus an unspecified package for “business support”.
But Mohammed Iqbal, the leader of Pendle council, said the actual figure was £42m, accusing the government of trying to hide the true amount “because they think Manchester and Liverpool and everyone else will be queuing up for it too”.
Related: UK coronavirus live: Lancashire to move into tier 3 Covid restrictions
The measures will come into force from midnight. Casinos, betting shops, bingo halls and soft play centres will also close under the restrictions. But unlike in the Liverpool city region, gyms and leisure centres will remain open.
The discrepancy caused an immediate complaint from Merseyside, where leaders said the government gave them no choice but to close leisure centres earlier this week. The decision means gyms will be open in places such as Chorley but closed in St Helens – despite the two areas being under tier 3 restrictions and only several miles apart.
Joe Anderson, the Liverpool mayor, branded the news a “shambles” and said Merseyside had “demanded immediate clarification” from the government. He tweeted: “Inconsistent mess, we now have tier 3A and tier 3B. Are gym users in Lancashire more safe than those in the Liverpool region?”
The restrictions will apply in Burnley, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Chorley, Fylde, Hyndburn, Lancaster, Pendle, Preston, Ribble Valley, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Wyre. They will be reviewed after 14 days.
Lancastrians must not socialise in groups of more than six in an outdoor public space, such as a park or beach, the countryside, a public garden or a sports venue, the government said. All pubs and bars must close, unless they are serving “substantial” meals. Car boot sales will be banned.
Iqbal said he was “not entirely satisfied” with the deal but insisted it was far better than the original offer.
“The end figure is actually £42m, but they don’t want to broadcast that because they think Manchester and Liverpool and everyone else will be queuing up for it too,” he said. “The £12m is for track and trace and enforcement and the £30m is for business support.”
He complained that he was “blackmailed” into accepting a deal, with Sir Edward Lister, the prime minister’s adviser, threatening to withhold funds from dissenting councils.
Iqbal said: “I’m not entirely satisfied because we were saying there needs to be enough to deal both with the pandemic and the peripheral businesses affected. We have been negotiating for seven days and this morning in a roundabout way we were blackmailed into the deal, because we were told that if we didn’t agree, we were going into tier 3 anyway. So if I disagreed, Pendle would still go into tier 3. But my businesses wouldn’t get any additional support. It was as blunt as that. There were two of us holding out until 10am this morning: us, Preston and South Ribble.”
He said he relented because “I can’t have businesses in my patch getting nothing and businesses down the road in Burnley getting support”.
Local Conservative politicians seemed happier. Nigel Evans, the MP for the Ribble Valley, criticised the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, for his remarks on Thursday claiming to speak for the whole of the north-west.
“Andy Burnham does not speak for Lancashire. He was elected in Greater Manchester. He does not speak for the rest of the north-west,” said Evans.
“Our figures are going up and something desperately needed to be done to save lives. He has to learn that we are concerned about the number of cases and we have to act now.”
Tier one – medium
The “rule of six” applies, meaning socialising in groups larger than six people is prohibited whether indoors or outdoors.
Tradespeople can continue to go into a household for work and are not counted as being part of the six-person limit.
Businesses and venues can continue to operate but pubs and restaurants must ensure customers only consume food and drink while seated, and close between 10pm and 5am.
Takeaway food can continue to be sold after 10pm if ordered by phone or online.
Schools and universities remain open.
Places of worship remain open but people must not mingle in a group of more than six.
Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people who can attend (15 and 30 respectively).
Exercise classes and organised sport can continue to take place outdoors, and – if the rule of six is followed – indoors.
Tier two – high
People are prohibited from socialising with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting.
Tradespeople can continue to go into a household for work.
The rule of six continues to apply for socialising outdoors, for instance in a garden or public space like a park or beach.
Businesses and venues can continue to operate but pubs and restaurants must ensure customers only consume food and drink while seated, and close between 10pm and 5am.
Takeaway food can continue to be sold after 10pm if ordered online or by phone.
Schools and universities remain open.
Places of worship remain open but people must not mingle in a group of more than six.
Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people who can attend (15 and 30 respectively).
Exercise classes and organised sport can continue to take place outdoors but will only be permitted indoors if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with those they do not live with (or share a support bubble with), or for youth or disability sport.
Travel is permitted to amenities that are open, for work or to access education, but people are advised to reduce the number of journeys where possible.
Tier three – very high
People are prohibited from socialising with anybody they do not live with, or have not formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting, private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events.
Tradespeople can continue to go into a household for work.
The rule of six continues to apply to outdoor public spaces, such as parks, beaches, public gardens or sports venues.
Pubs and bars are only permitted to remain open to operate as restaurants, in which case alcohol can only be served as part of a substantial meal.
Schools and universities remain open.
Places of worship remain open but household mixing is not permitted.
Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people attending (15 and 30 respectively) but wedding receptions are not allowed.
The rules for exercise classes and organised sport are the same as in tier 2. They can continue to take place outdoors but will only be permitted indoors if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with (or share a support bubble with), or for youth or disability sport. However, in Merseyside, gyms were ordered to close when it entered tier 3.
Travelling outside a very high alert level area or entering a very high alert level area should be avoided other than for things such as work, education or youth services, to meet caring responsibilities or if travelling through as part of a longer journey.
Residents of a tier 3 area should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK, while people who live in a tier 1 or tier 2 area should avoid staying overnight in a very high alert level area.
Matt Hancock, the health and social care secretary, said: “An unrelenting rise in cases in Lancashire means we must act now, and we have worked intensively with local leaders to agree on additional restrictions. I know how heavy these additional challenges will weigh on everyday life for the people of Lancashire – but they are critical in bringing this virus under control.
“Without them, we risk the health of your loved ones, your most vulnerable, and your local NHS services. Now is the time to play your part, and we will make sure you are supported.”
It means Lancashire becomes only the second area of England to be placed under the “very high” level of coronavirus restrictions while other parts of northern England remain firmly opposed to the measures.
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In Lancashire, infection rates are among the highest in the country and continuing to rise rapidly, the government said. Rates are highest for those aged 16-29, at 552 in every 100,000 people, while for the over-60s, cases stand at 214 in every 100,000 people. This increases to 594 in every 100,000 for the over-60s in Burnley, and 671 in every 100,000 for 16- to 29-year-olds.
The government’s standoff with other northern leaders deepened when Burnham and Jamie Driscoll, the North of Tyne mayor, joined forces to oppose the imposition of tier 3 rules without significant additional financial support.
Boris Johnson declined to confirm that he would impose restrictions on Greater Manchester, saying only: “I’d much rather that we were able to do things with the help, the support, the leadership of local authorities.”
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In a pooled TV clip, the prime minister repeatedly placed the responsibility on local leaders, saying they had to get on board with the government’s plans.
But asked why he would not offer more financial support, as demanded by Burnham and others, Johnson avoided the question, saying only: “Other local leaders have come forward and joined in the tiering system and shown the kind of leadership that I think is necessary.”
