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BORIS JOHNSON’S government has repeatedly discriminated against northern regions and communities throughout the coronavirus pandemic, a hard-hitting report revealed today.
Northern Labour MPs Jon Trickett, Ian Lavery and former Labour MP Laura Smith of the “No Holding Back” group are accusing the Prime Minister of systematically treating northerners as “second-class citizens” as new restrictions for the regions come into force tomorrow.
In October, Mr Johnson attempted to cut furlough payments to 67 per cent when Tier 3 restrictions were imposed on northern regions, but restored them to their original 80 per cent when London and the south-east fell under the same tougher restrictions, the report states.
From tomorrow, most of London and the south-east will be under Tier 2 restrictions while most of the north will be under stricter Tier 3 restrictions.
“His decision to keep tough restrictions for the north for longer while neglecting to place London in Tier 3 shows that he has no regard for the difficulties faced by our constituents,” the report stated.
The report said that while Covid-19 infection rates in the north are falling, numbers are rising in London and the south-east.
It stated: “Placing London in Tier 2 will ultimately cost unnecessary lives and prolong this second wave.
“With tier restrictions commencing on December 3, Boris Johnson had a chance to show he had learned from his blatant discrimination in trying to foist 67 per cent furlough on northern England while pivoting to 80 per cent furlough when the lockdown was extended to the south of England.
“Not only did he fail, but he repeated that discrimination, again leaving us in no doubt of his disregard for held-back communities like ours.”
Mr Trickett represents Hemsworth in West Yorkshire and Mr Lavery represents Wansbeck in north-east England.
Ms Smith was MP for Crewe and Nantwich in north-west England and is now a Labour councillor.
The report called for the whole country to be placed under a “blanket Tier 4” restriction “to protect the health and wealth of the nation.”
“This government has shown it cannot be trusted to act in the interests of northern working-class communities,” the report concluded.
It was published as MPs prepared to discuss and vote on the new restrictions in Parliament.
