On Tuesday 20th October, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Greater Manchester would be entering tier-three lockdown restrictions the coming Friday. This announcement was expected by most, but negotiations between Andy Burnham (the region’s mayor) and the government were the focus of the news. To many, particularly those who live in the city region, it appeared that the people of Manchester were being unfairly treated, and resentment towards the government seems to be growing in the city.

Burnham initially asked for £90 million in order to pay 80% of salaries for those in the region who will be unable to work due to the tighter restrictions, in line with the previous national policy earlier this year. The government made a counteroffer of £60 million, allowing a furlough rate of 67%, but as Burnham refused to go lower than £65 million, negotiations fell through. Instead, the region will receive £22 million for contact tracing, though the £60 million is still on the table for individual councils.

Johnson stated that the higher rate could not be given to Manchester, as this would not be in line with the support given to other regions, such as Liverpool, which have also been put into tier three. However, it was announced that extra support would be given to London and Birmingham as they entered tier two, measures which have effectively been in place in Manchester without support for three months. Burnham has stated that this announcement left him ‘open-mouthed.’

The hypocrisy of the government denying much-needed money to Northern regions under the pretence of fairness, while making special arrangements for London is shocking, and is likely to increase resentment in Manchester towards the government. After learning of this news, I spoke to some residents about their thoughts and feelings on the government’s regulations. One resident said ‘the North gets a raw deal…I think they’d be less likely to clamp down on the South because of the popularity of the Conservatives,’ while another said ‘it feels like they’re making an example of Manchester, but they’re just punishing the people.’

Coupled with the treatment of Manchester as an example to councils who do not follow the government’s wishes, the day after the announcement of tighter lockdown restrictions in the region, MPs voted against the Free School Meals motion, which was originally championed by Manchester United player Marcus Rashford. The bill was popular in Manchester, with Rashford becoming something of a local hero. The ‘no’ votes came from Conservative Members of Parliament, except for one independent MP, leaving questions of what this means for the Tory Party in Manchester.

In last year’s general election, the Conservatives gained five seats, more than doubling their presence in the traditionally left-wing region. However, none of the Conservative MPs in Greater Manchester voted for the Free School Meals scheme, with seven ‘no’ votes. With the current government seemingly showing little care for the working-class people of Greater Manchester who will inevitably struggle to survive on lower furlough rates, and the Conservative MPs of the city region voting against the needs of these people, it is easy to imagine the party losing its gains in the next election.

With the Conservatives so clearly showing that the North and working-class people are not their priority, it is not hard to see the so-called ‘Red Wall’—the massive dominance of Labour in the North of England, which fell in 2019 as Conservative MPs were voted in throughout the region—being rebuilt in the next election, though of course amid the current instability nobody can truly predict what the future will look like for the Tories in Greater Manchester and across the North. 

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Like this? See below for more from Comment:

No Political Power Play: Free School Meals Should Be a Right All Year Round

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It’s Not Just Boris: How The Conservative Government Failed The Public