this is the true conversation and will show a north south divide when this all blows over and people analyse everything that happened, I’m sure excuses will be made why the south needed it more etc. The Torries know full well that post brexit they’ve lost their northern vote bargaining chip and I think are pushing ahead with the Trump model now of stopping voters from voting via making them disenfranchised, poor and or dead. I suspect next year they will redraw boundaries for seats again and maybe change election law under some suedo anti COVID pretence
When the tier system of lockdowns was announced, it should have had details of the attached financial packages (both for the local government and the people/business affected). It should be written down in black and white, with the opportunity to ask for more if it was required for a specific reason. You might quibble about the levels of funding, but everyone would get the same and it would be fully transparent. The fact that it still isn't, and regions are being given different levels of support is shameful.
A quick examination of the letter and it states that what the Govt are offering is inadequate . Regardless of what negotiations Burnham has come up with the Govts has imposed inadequate measures and those MPs have confirmed this in the letter . In their attempt to belittle Burnham they have confirmed that a National Govt cares little and imposes what imo are sanctions on the people of Greater Manchester . No doubt the Tory Media will suppress these actions and find a way to stigmatise Burnham etc but the damage is done .
It's happening in London too. Not long to the rearranged London mayoral elections and the tories are playing politics. They've threatened to seize TfL as a condition for additional funding not being approved by Sadiq Khan. the extra measures including making the congestion zone even more expensive and extended further north and south (the PM while Mayor scrapped the Western extension covering Chelsea and Knightsbridge). Removing kids discounts, Pushing for automating services and getting rid of rail staff and much more. Indeed, just seen Johnson at pmqs claim Sadiq bankrupted TfL well before covid. Lieing in the commons should bring a jail term.
I just hope the people of London are engaging their brains - any Londoner who votes for the Tory Puppet Mayoral candidate wants sectioning
The amusing thing regarding that is that Khan has reduced the deficit in TFL by 71% during his time as Mayor. It was the precious incumbent who bankrupted it. I wonder who that person was...
and down we go again to another level I hope the councils collectively tell him where to go Divide and rule and also completely wrong to bypass a democratically elected Mayor in this way
The same as behind the "Emirates airline".... buses unfit for purpose, the garden bridge, allowing land at the side of City Hall to be built on where one of his cronies just happened to benefit, second hand water cannon that didn't get used... and on and on it goes.
Luckily the Tory clowns got it wrong again, trying to sow discord between the 10 other councils and Andy Burnham From the BBC: "But Oldham Council leader Sean Fielding said the £60m deal was also rejected by the ten council leaders. "It wasn't just Andy Burnham that rejected the offer of £60m, it was collectively the 10 council leaders and Andy Burnham," he said. "£60m was not enough and it remains not enough," added the Labour councillor."
Edit: The below figures are for SY versus Manchester The packages as reported (however they're broken down..test & trace elements etc) are 41 million for S Yorks (population 1.4 million) and 60 million for Greater Manchester (population 2.8 million) That's £21.42 per head for Manchester And £29.28 per head for S. Yorks It may not be as simplistic as that I know, but even those figures show a glaring discrepancy and based on the figures Manchester should have been awarded 81.9 million Mind you S Yorks did have a lot of new Tory voters at the last election...or am I being too cynical?
The fact that Burnham did not have unilateral power to accept the package does get lost somewhat, as well as the fact that Govt had unilateral power to impose. They weren't seeking a deal, they were seeking an endorsement. Though the one tory council leader in GM (Bolton), has gone straight to Govt to do his own separate deal. No doubt their figure per head will be greater than the rest of the region.
a funding formula could have been worked out by the most junior of junior economists. As you say it would have been transparent and criteria based with some discretion. People would still moan of course but fairness wouldn’t be an issue
One of the main factors in the Tories malevolent treatment of the constituent GM Authorities, is that apart from a couple, the majority of those ruling bodies are staunch Labour. When I was trying to unify their demand for their collective Energy requirements back in 2010, I was called before a collective select Committee at Trafford Town Hall. I was there to represent my employer the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation. Before I did my Power Point presentation, looking round the room at the red roses in some of their delegates lapels and the Chairs references to the War of the Roses, I sensed I was up against it from the outset, particularly as I was competing against other providers, one of which was the Governments Procurement Agency, the Office of Government Commerce. Via a mixture of light hearted banter and the logical good sense of our business model, we managed to win their business. I have to admit that my possible reference to the fact that I was born in a Mining community and that some members of my family were Miners and Labour Councillors on Doncaster Council might have also been received favourably. When the story first broke yesterday, my mind went back to 2010 and my immediate thoughts were that I bet the GM team gave Government representatives short shrift during their discussions in their effort to do their level best for the people of Greater Manchester. They certainly leave you in no doubt that they love the North and the Labour Party, they tolerate Yorkshire, but quite clearly are very wary of the South and the Tory Party.