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England’s growing north-south political divide dominates the newspapers after the Boris Johnson government imposed Level 3 restrictions on Manchester despite fierce resistance from the city’s mayor, Andy Burnham.
the guardian reports that Burnham accused the prime minister of playing a “game of poker with people’s lives” after imposing the highest level of restrictions on the city and its surroundings.
“Chaos and fury as the prime minister puts the brakes on Manchester,” reads the newspaper headline, Mirror picks up on former Labor health secretary’s attack on Johnson, who says: “PM is playing poker with the pandemic.”
The quote is also used by the Manchester evening news in its morning issue. It has a simulated image of Johnson as the joker from a deck of cards next to the headline “Playing poker with our lives.”
the Yorkshire Post it resumes the mood of rebellion in the north with its welcoming headline: “Northern uproar over the imposition of the strictest virus restrictions.
the Times sprinkled with the headline “Manchester forced to the highest level of blocking”, saying that No. 10 is “at war” with Burnham. It reports that Johnson tried to use a £ 60 million support package to get Manchester to agree to the stricter rules, but cites a Downing Street source blaming Burnham for the collapse of the talks.
the Financial times broadens the scope of Johnson’s hard day in office with his story under what to the ‘pink un is an unusually rhyming headline: “Johnson struck by fights with city, business and Brussels leaders.”
the Telegraph he tries to move the story from the clash in Manchester where, inconveniently for Johnson, Burnham has received a lot of support from regional Conservative MPs.
Its upside is a warning that other northern cities will face similar restrictions if infections continue to rise, with the headline: “Northern cities said they could be next.” It says South Yorkshire expects to be placed at level 3 this week and that West Yorkshire, the North East, Teesside and Nottingham were also in the government’s sights.
Under his title “PM Facing the Wrath of Manchester”, the me has a similar line and reports that Yorkshire, the Northeast and Nottinghamshire are likely to be the next regions to see tighter restrictions imposed from above.
the Mail The title is “Now Show Us Your Papers” as it reports on a letter from Scotland Yard to bar owners asking them to demand names, addresses and even photo ID of drinkers to more effectively track and trace outbreaks of Covid-19.
the Quick steps into the breach once again and picks up a war-style call for national unity from IWC Northwest Director Damian Waters to bolster Johnson’s exercise of central power. “Only national unity will defeat the virus,” says its headline.
the Subway has the best pun of the day with “Level and Hate” as its welcome title.
In Scotland, Herald reports concerns that restaurants are not following the rules that are already in effect north of the border. “Restaurants face forced closures after refusing to follow the rules,” he says.
