Senior Tory MP vows to speak out against Tier 3 lockdown in Manchester

15 October 2020, 20:54

By Fiona Jones

Senior Tory MP Sir Graham Brady vows to speak out against the Government if a Tier 3 lockdown is announced for Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester will "stand firm" against Government plans to move the city into the toughest level of Covid restrictions, the mayor has said.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said local leaders were "unanimously opposed" to the introduction of "flawed and unfair" Tier Three rules.

Chairman of the 1922 Committee and MP for Altrincham and Sale West Sir Graham Brady vowed that he would "absolutely" oppose the implementation of an even more stringent lockdown.

He reflected, "We've come out of lockdown, we've come out of those, we've gone into additional restrictions, we've maybe come out of those.

"In my constituency we came out of those for twelve hours at the end of August then we were put back into those additional restrictions. Then we're put back into something slightly looser which is TIer Two, but four days later they say we should be in Tier Three.

Northern leaders “unanimously oppose" Tier 3 Covid restrictions

"I think the truth is what we'd be looking at would be a circuit break for two or three weeks followed by, possibly, two or three weeks of freedom, and then another circuit break or another lockdown."

Iain put to Sir Graham Andy Burnham's accusation that the north is being used as a guinea pig by the Government.

Sir Graham responded: "I don't think it's deliberate using the north or the north west as a guinea pig."

He reflected that there have been times during his 23 in Parliament where he has been the only Conservative MP in Greater Manchester and, at one point, the only Conservative in the 98 northern metropolitan seats between the Irish Sea and the North Sea.

He continued: "It was very telling that on the call this morning with Helen Whateley the health minister, there were no MPs from Greater Manchester - either Conservative or Labour - that were calling for a Tier Three lockdown for Greater Manchester.

"I think it's really important that the Government recognises the strength of local opinion, the fact that people are capable of making their own decisions as intelligent adults, and I really hope we're going to move towards the recognition that...we've really got to work with people."

Iain asked, "In short if the Tier Three lockdown is announced tomorrow, you'll speak out against it?"

"Certainly," Sir Graham Brady replied.