October 16, 2020
Council leaders in Lancashire have dramatically claimed they were “bullied, harassed, threatened and blackmailed” by Downing Street into imposing the toughest Covid-19 restrictions. 
No.10 Bullied And Blackmailed Lancashire Leaders Into Accepting Tier 3 Lockdown
No. 10 officials were accused of threatening to withhold funding from councils who refused tier 3 curbs, with town hall figures saying their area faced becoming “an island” if they did not fold. 
It was announced on Friday that Lancashire would follow Liverpool into the “very high” alert level, with pubs and bars not serving food forced to close and people from different households barred from mixing. 
But after the news was released, council leaders hit out at being “punished” by a £30m local furlough package that would see just 66% of people’s wages covered. 
Preston and Pendle’s council leaders issued a joint statement claiming Downing Street officials “threatened any district leader who did not fall into line” by saying funding would be withheld. 
It follows Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham accusing the government of treating the north “like a sacrificial lamb” and “experimenting” with new local lockdown rates. 
He says the region will refuse to be forced into new measures unless ministers offer to return the 80% furlough scheme from the first, national, lockdown. 
Meanwhile Paul Foster, leader of South Ribble council, said: “There’s no other way to put this than we have been bullied, harassed, threatened and blackmailed into moving into tier 3.”
He added: “The discussions with government were a complete shambles and we were basically told if we didn’t accept the restrictions we would have even more draconian measures imposed on us – that is no way to do work with council leaders. It is treating us with contempt.” 
The Labour leader of Blackpool Council, Lynn Williams, said: “This is not what I wanted for Blackpool. We had no option but to ultimately agree this. Had we have not done so we would have been placed in Tier 3 with no money and no support measures.” 
She added: “We could have turned this deal down, but more businesses would have suffered as a result of it and we would have been put into Tier 3 soon anyway.”
Labour’s Matthew Brown, leader of Preston City Council, and Mohammad Iqbal, leader of Pendle Council, together issued a strongly worded statement laying into the government.  
It read: “Lancashire leaders have been bullied by 10 Downing Street into accepting a deal that all sides know isn’t enough to stop the virus. “Lancashire leaders along with local public health directors have been calling for months for a fully functional test and trace system, clarity on regulations and guidance, greater enforcement and better testing in and around schools and educational facilities.” 
The two leaders added: “Throughout the negotiations, government officials were only interested in the politics and threatened any district leader who did not fall into line with [...] an imposition of tier 3 and that their borough ‘would become an island’ that would receive less in funding and resource. 
“When people on one side of the street are being resourced to help stop the virus whilst people on the other side of the street aren’t, they are instead being punished, then public health policy has collapsed. 
“The government refused to accept that people on the minimum wage or very low incomes would not be able to survive for months on just 66% of their wage having already endured six months’ hardship.” 
In a direct attack on chancellor Rishi Sunak, they accused government of BREAKING its promises to “level up” the north. 
They said: “The chancellor Rishi Sunak’s promise that the government will provide ‘whatever is necessary’ has clearly become a broken promise to the people of Lancashire and the north.
“Lancashire leaders have not been given the policies or the means to stop the spread of the virus and have been bullied for political gain by 10 Downing Street.” 
Responding on Friday, the prime minister’s official spokesperson would not comment on discussions, but said: “Our approach throughout has been to work constructively with local authorities and to ensure, as we have throughout, that the right level of support is available locally because we know just how difficult the restrictions are.”Related... Gyms Can Stay Open In Tier 3 Lancashire But Must Close In Tier 3 Liverpool Lancashire To Be Placed Under Tier 3 Coronavirus Lockdown Are Johnson And Sunak Ready To Pay The Price To Avoid A National Lockdown?
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Millie Bobby Brown & Jake Bongiovi Celebrate “Three Years of Bliss” Ahead of Wedding
March 24, 2024
C4Ehegcq1-A
Kate Middleton & Prince William "Enormously Touched" by Public Support
March 24, 2024
s8fig-RCjFc
Gisele Bündchen Denies Cheating on Ex-Husband Tom Brady
March 23, 2024
_SpRMagA8BM
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
'Everybody Was S----ing Their Pants': Nick Thune Jokes About Being Born in the '70s and Fatherhood
March 16, 2024
mm7Baf6o2d8
Gunna Says Tour Will Up Creativity in Rap, Endorses Flo Milli | TMZ
March 22, 2024
QfMU24fw-Qo
Reporter Taylor Lorenz Says Palace Botched Kate Cancer News Rollout | TMZ Live
March 22, 2024
o43ZucdiyEo
Riley Strain's Body Found After Going Missing in Nashville 2 Weeks Ago | TMZ NOW
March 22, 2024
1m1zM-4_Cs8
Kyle Richards hasn’t spoken to co-star Dorit Kemsley, denies sending her a ‘manipulative’ text
March 24, 2024
LqLZzDP1hm4
Jordan Emanuel on her connection to 'RHOSLC' star Meredith Marks, advice from Amanda Batula
March 24, 2024
5NPAwlOov1Y
Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary apologizes after slamming ‘fickle’ Meghan Markle in scathing interview
March 24, 2024
JWG9kitALZk
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SK Brann W - Barcelona W
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Hacken W - PSG W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SL Benfica W - Lyon W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Ajax W - Chelsea W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Brighton - Manchester City
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.