[ad_1]
More than 50 Conservative MPs from the “red wall” seats are demanding a Boris Johnson “roadmap out of lockdown” and a post-COVID economic recovery plan for the north of England.
How Warrington As parts of Nottinghamshire became the last areas to be placed under Level 3 restrictions, MPs have expressed anger at the difficulties posed by the strict lockdown rules.
Latest coronavirus news from the UK and around the world
Northern cities like Manchester have been under local restrictions for weeks.
The demands come in a strong letter to the prime minister of the newly launched Northern Research Group of conservative MPs, led by former Boris Johnson ally and former Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry.
Berry, who has previously called COVID-19 Restrictions in the “London-centric” north and “the handcuffs of state control” claims the virus threatens to widen the North-South divide and “send the North upside down.”
The group is calling on the government to begin work to “level the North,” which Johnson has claimed is his mission after the Conservatives made radical strides with Labor in the region in general elections.
In what amounts to a manifesto for the North, the demands of the deputies include:
- Establish a clear roadmap out of the lockdown
- Prioritize the acceleration of key road, rail and social infrastructure projects and job creation
- Develop a personalized economic recovery plan for the North
In their letter, MPs remind the prime minister that many towns and cities in the north of England have been subjected to strict local restrictions in the weeks before his announcement of a tier-based system two weeks ago.
They warn the government that, with no end in sight, the adversity of local economies will continue, with many people facing difficulties as they go out of business and lose their jobs.
Berry, MP for the Lancashire constituency of Rossendale and Darwen, said: “The North has seen a level of disruption unparalleled with other parts of the country.
“The virus has highlighted with great emphasis the profound structural and systemic disadvantage facing our communities and threatens to further widen the disparity between North and South.
“Our constituents have been some of the hardest hit by this virus, and many have lost jobs, businesses and livelihoods.
“There has never been a more relevant and urgent political and economic case to support people living in the North.
“Yet instead of pushing ahead with our shared ambitions, the cost of COVID and the virus itself threatens to push the North back.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Conservative MP William Wragg, MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester and a rebel against coronavirus restrictions, added: “We have long needed a good deal for the North from the government and the virus has only exacerbated that need.
“This is not about giving the government a difficult time; the prime minister shares our collective priority. But there are convincing and constructive arguments that, as a group of deputies from the North, we can present to the government on how it fulfills its promise to step up. the North.
“From transportation to digital connectivity, education and skills for small businesses, our region and its people can fuel our national recovery.
“At the pan-north level, we can work with the government to create wealth and opportunity for our constituents, rebuilding better after COVID.”
In response to the Conservative MPs’ letter to the Labor Party, Shadow Treasury Chief Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Even Boris Johnson’s own MPs know that he cannot be trusted to deliver on his promises. .
“The government has treated local communities with contempt. The decision not to extend free school meals is the clearest sign yet that the Conservatives have the wrong priorities and are not on the side of British families.”
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “We are absolutely committed to leveling up across the country and building back better after the coronavirus.
“We stood in the last elections with the solemn promise that we would improve people’s lives and, although the pandemic has meant that 2020 is not the year we all expected, our ambitions for the country have not changed.”
