Johnson’s contempt for the economy in the north and lives in London
The Tories have announced the restrictive ‘tiers’ that each part of England will enter when the national lockdown ends next week – and they are already ignoring the numbers and science for their own political purposes. Manchester has been put into tier 3 and London into tier 2, despite all the data suggesting the opposite is appropriate.
Manchester’s estimated ‘R rate’ of coronavirus infection is 0.8-1 – even in the most pessimistic assessment the level of the virus is not growing. London’s is 1.2-4 – in other words, even in the most optimistic estimate, the pandemic is still growing unchecked in the capital. The level in London is also significantly higher than other places that have been put into tier 3.
Yet Manchester has been put into the most restrictive and economically-damaging lockdown – while the people of London are being put at high risk of infection and the resulting death toll.
It’s hard to view the Manchester decision as anything but influenced by Johnson’s desire for ‘payback’ for Greater Manchester mayor Burnham’s vocal resistance to the Tories’ chaotic implementation of the first version of the 3-tier system – including a call for schools to close as the main engine of the second wave – or to see putting London into lesser restrictions as anything but contempt for the lives of Londoners and others who work there.
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The virus is being used has a political weapon like I said months ago.The Lockdown has become a political football whilst my old town of Bolton Lancashire struggles under the title of Greater Manchester.,and the local football team just about keeps its head above the water.Many shops one man band outfits and small businesses will go bust.The Torys are making the locals realise that Voting Tory or voting for a tribute band like the knight will either way be a disaster…IT really is a crisis for many run down towns in the North turning the vision of a desolute landscape into a Apocalyptic nightmare.
Yes, my old home town is in Greater Manchester too. The decline set in years ago, but hastened by austerity. Had returned a Labour MP for time immemorial, but on visiting last year I was very shocked and saddened to hear the pro-Brexit views (not the considered ones held by some left wingers but the ‘sovereignty’ ones and such garbage) and anti-Corbyn sentiments – obviously picked up from the MSM song sheet – from people whose views I had previously respected. It will be interesting to perhaps return in a year or so, or not….
What an absolute vindictive act regarding the bloody ‘Tiers’ though. I was never a great fan of Burnham, but thought he really showed his metal a month or so ago, and this is so obviously retribution!
Julia you are correct,the old towns have changed,I detected an air of bitterness and blame culture against the Asians,the Labour party and its leader Jeremy Corbyn…The kick back from the locals could have been stopped,but over half a century of being trampled by the local Labour council and then the vote flung back in their faces was the straw that broke the camel’s back.where they go from here I don’t know.They’ve seen what the Torys are doing,punishing the North and I expect that when a people have lost all hope…violence and fascist political groups step in to fill the vacuum…Life in Bolton is about to change again from when my dad loaded up the car after the collapse of the cotton industry and headed South.
I agree Joseph. When will people wake up?
My brothers were murdered earlier this year by a type of locked in sydrome from the conservative and unionist party..both passed away sorounded by the infected in Care ❤ homes curtusy of the Tory scum.They were locked in shrouded by infected not family and not even the curtusy of the “last Rites” by a priest….Now they want to spread “locked in to the population of Lancashire and Yorkshire….
Joseph, their priority is to exploit any situation to enrich their chums more.
It suits them to bamboozle the public with absurd Tiers, graphs and incoherent announcements and actions.
The intent is to exhaust a trusting public.
All the better to distract, subdue and control Their is neither concern for the physical, psychological public health and welfare, nor thousands of deaths.
Their obsession is syphoning directly and directly as many billions as swiftly as possible to their few… chums … chums of chums… the one percent. That is all🛑
Signpost not windchimes, it’s depressing isn’t it? I’ve known this for a long time. Just by putting Manchester into a high tier while London get’s a bit more leniency shows without a doubt that it’s more political now. We’re being financially stripped in plain sight and Sir Keir is staying quiet.
Correct Teresa. Said exactly that č posts at start of Covid-19. Tories including Starmar, have ZERO concern re health and life. They are mercilessly exploiting Covid-19 as a cash cow. Tis not new either. That’s why it breaks my heart to sense no willingness to accept an illogical belief that we could or even SHOULD consider anything 0.000000 good could come from Starmar.
The “Big Church” begging obsession makes no sense at all. That’s what’s difficult. You may have long detected that i find mysteries almost unbearable. The horribleness of the Right Wing is a fact of life. It’s the “Left’s” strange blind refusal to face that fact, which feels like torture to me.
We may soon discover something that explains it all. It may cause sadness to many but i’m past sadness. An explanation, however sharp, would be a relief. WHY? Because some actions and inactions don’t match with obvious steps to transform our world… not even tiny baby steps.
🌹🌹🌹