Ministers told Warrington is not ‘experimentation lab’ ahead of new restrictions

The town is bracing itself for tougher restrictions, along with areas across the north of England.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce a closure of pubs and restaurants in areas of the region on Monday.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has today confirmed an expansion of the Job Support Scheme to firms closed by Covid-19 rules, with the Government to pay two-thirds of staff salaries.

It comes after leaders called for more help for struggling businesses.

But Labour Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols says the people of Warrington are being let down by the absence of a clear strategy from the Government.

“The past few days have seen policy made on a whim in Downing Street with no evidence-basis nor consultation with local leaders or residents,” she said.

“We need to see clear evidence that shutting down hospitality will curb the spread of the disease.

MP Charlotte Nichols

“Warrington is not an experimentation lab for the Government in London to try its latest policies out and we can’t just close the town indefinitely and the businesses and staff I’ve heard from are feeling incredibly anxious at this threat.

“I welcome the additional financial support announced today but the support very much hinges on ‘if your business is legally required to close’, which does nothing for the hospitality businesses in Warrington who are allowed to remain open but have lost significant business nor those which have already had to close their doors in the past few weeks.

“Many people in hospitality are paid near the minimum wage meaning that two thirds of their salary wouldn’t be remotely enough to get by on and ought to be stepped up significantly.”

Warrington Borough Council leader Cllr Russ Bowden said prior to last week’s announcement over tougher restrictions for the town, there was some engagement with Government and he felt that they ‘learnt their lesson’ of not taking that approach.

However, he has criticised a lack of consultation over recent days.

Speaking this afternoon just before the Chancellor’s announcement, he said: “I’ve had nothing this week whatsoever.”

Cllr Bowden says the ‘leaked’ proposals over the restrictions to the press were frustrating.

He said: “I know MPs aren’t happy for that reason as well.

Cllr Russ Bowden

“We seem to have gone back to it all being decided in Westminster without any kind of input locally and I think that’s a really retrograde step because it’s obviously local councils that have got knowledge about their communities, knowledge about the information about outbreaks, where cases are, how it’s being transmitted in the community.”

Cllr Bowden says councils are on the frontline but are being asked to do things without resources or being involved in some of the decision-making.

The Labour politician said: “Nobody has really turned the question on its head, everything seems to be the numbers go up so we start shutting things down.

“What will it take for us to be happy with the hospitality sector being open because that keeps people employed, it keeps business going, the Government doesn’t seem to be looking at it that way.”

He said the hospitality sector is the workplace for many and asked: “Why are we singling out that single part of the economy and beating it up?

“I don’t really get it, I haven’t seen any evidence around the transmission that happens in pubs et cetera.

“Instead of saying what can we do that keeps these things open, we seem to be saying straight away we’ll just shut them down, that’s got to be a threat to people’s jobs and livelihoods.”

Cllr Bowden expressed concerns over the viability of businesses across the north without a proper funding package.

He said he would only be in favour of pubs and restaurants closing if sufficient support was provided to those businesses.

Cllr Bowden added: “Even then, I would still want to see the evidence that the hospitality sector that was the problem.

“I think I’m coming round to that view now that it seems to be one part of the economy which is taking all the pain.”

He says that hospitality and leisure seems to be the ‘scapegoat’ for everything and that there are a ‘lot of unhappy MPs’ who don’t think the evidence is there.

Conservative Warrington South MP Andy Carter has issued a statement on the situation.

He said: “The latest infection data and hospital admission are particularly concerning for both Warrington and the north west as a wider region, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in bed occupancy in just the last few days and an increase in those patients moving into ventilated beds.

MP Andy Carter

“Every day this week I’ve had briefings with the chief medical officer or his deputy and health secretary and in the last few days I have spoken directly to the borough council chief executive, chief executive of Warrington Hospital and the director of public health in Warrington to gain their views on how we balance the health of people locally alongside protecting jobs and keeping schools open. 

“I’ve fed this into Westminster and I know further engagement with local leaders is taking place across the weekend.

“I very much welcome the steps set out this afternoon by the Chancellor for those businesses that may be asked to close this winter. 

“The Job Support Scheme is being expanded to provide temporary, localised support to businesses in Warrington whose premises are legally required to close as a direct result of coronavirus restrictions.

“The grant per eligible employee available from the UK Government is two-thirds of their normal pay up to a limit of £2,100 per month.

“The Local Restrictions Support Grant will also provide up to £3,000 a month for businesses which are forced to close as a result of Covid-19 restrictions or which have not been legally able to reopen since the first lockdown in March.”