Rare to see political parties united like they are over virus
It is a rare occasion when politicians of all stripes come together in unanimity.
But on the subject of the Government’s planned new lockdown restrictions, regional leaders across the Black Country and Staffordshire all appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
Ministers are expected to announce the introduction of a three-tier system for local lockdowns on Monday, with the West Midlands set to be placed on the second level.
This means, among other things, a ban on households mixing in indoor settings – including pubs and restaurants – and in private homes or gardens, while people will be advised not to use public transport.
Westminster has been placed under increasing pressure to act after Scotland announced fresh restrictions on the hospitality sector and cases surged across parts of northern England.
But around the West Midlands a clear message has been sent to Government: leave us alone. The figures tell their own story. In Wolverhampton, where a ban on households mixing in homes is in place, the infection rate has been relatively stable in recent weeks and was 68 per 100,000 in the seven days up to October 5, the latest available data from the NHS.
Dudley’s rate was also stable at 69, while in Staffordshire it was 80.6.
Sandwell and Walsall have both seen steep rises over the past few days, and now stand at 111.1 and 119.4 respectively. Birmingham posted the region’s highest rate over the period at 150.8.
So although there are vast differences in infection rates, the whole region could be lined up for the same set of extra restrictions. And nowhere in the West Midlands is even close to the rates experienced in level three areas such as Manchester and Merseyside, where it has surged past 500.
Councillor Ian Brookfield, the Labour leader of Wolverhampton Council, said: “What the Government is planning next week is for us to be lumped in with the rest of the West Midlands in the second category, which would put us only one step away from shutting down the whole hospitality sector. Myself and the other six leaders are are fighting every day against this because we are nowhere near what the North East and North West are experiencing. It is a category that is unwanted, and one we don’t deserve to be in.
“We have got a set of restrictions in place that has enabled a plateauing of the figures. We are not complacent and don’t by any means think the job is done, but there is no evidence to suggest that we need to go into further restrictions.
“We have worked on the basis that 90 per cent of infections are house-to-house, and this still holds true.
“That’s the evidence we have at the moment and it is why we believe strongly that we should stay with the restrictions that we have.
“All we are asking the Government to do is to look at the evidence. If in a week’s time our figures have gone much higher then I would be the first to say we may need new restrictions.
“We will be fighting tooth and nail not to be put into a higher category just because it helps to simplify the national plan.”
Councillor Wendy Thompson, the opposition Tory leader, said: “The city has done really well to keep the rate down and we do not need any further restrictions.”
Stuart Anderson, the Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West, said the data proved that local measures were succeeding in controlling the virus.
“The biggest reason for the transmission of the virus here in house-to-house – it is not being transmitted in pubs,” he said. “As a city we are unified in the view that we don’t want these new measures, as we believe they are unfair and won’t make a difference. We want to keep the house-to-house restrictions in place as they are clearly working.
"Since we voluntarily put ourselves into these measures our rate has fallen below Dudley. I think it is good to have a tiered system, but there needs to be circumstances where certain places can be pulled out, and Wolverhampton should be one of them. If they do bring in extra measures then we will need the finances to help the businesses in hospitality are further supported.”
Concerns over the impact of new restrictions on the hospitality sector in the West Midlands are widespread, with Labour MP John Spellar warning the region could see thousands of extra job losses.
The Warley MP attended a briefing from the Department for Health yesterday and described the proposed measures as “way over the top”.
“Yet again they are not getting the balance right between protecting public health and enabling life to go on so we can maintain the economy,” he said. “Keir Stamer has challenged Boris Johnson to publish the evidence that these measures make a difference to the spread of the virus. The figures from Public Health England show that only three or four per cent of infections are in restaurants and pubs. This is taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
"The result will be that tens of thousands more people across the West Midlands will be made redundant with little prospect of getting another job.”
Councillor Patrick Harley, the Conservative leader of Dudley Council, said: “We think we are doing a good job in trying to control this virus and the figures show that we are succeeding. Our efforts to date are working. True, we have had a rise in the rate, as has everywhere else, which is disappointing. But when you look at other areas the numbers are going up at a far higher rate than they are in Dudley.
“Where local authorities have some control of the virus, leave them alone to get on with it. We strongly resist being lumped together with the likes of Birmingham and Sandwell.” Councillor Harley, who runs two pubs, said restrictions on the hospitality sector had “done nothing to reduce the spread of the virus”.
Measures
“It would have been far better economically for pubs to continue to serve at the bar as long as customers wear a mask,” he added. “All the measures have done is increase the cost to pubs.”
Michael Fabricant, the Tory MP for Lichfield, said he hoped the new measures would not be region-wide, adding: “I strongly believe that any new lockdown should not apply to the entire West Midlands. Lichfield and most of Staffordshire have relatively few infections.
"It would be heavy handed for restrictions to apply throughout the whole area. However, I have spoken to Matt Hancock and he has assured me that any lockdown or other controls will be as local as possible and will not be region wide.”
Under the new system the worst hit areas face seeing pubs and restaurants closed, as well as a ban on overnight stays away from home.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said there was “evidence hospitality plays a role” in spreading the virus.
Dr Kucharski, of the Government’s scientific pandemic influenza group, warned: “I think we are in a situation where cases are rising and they are going to continue to rise unless something changes. We have got now good evidence that a lot of transmission particularly happens at prolonged indoor interactions, particularly among close-knit gatherings, so, obviously pubs and restaurants are one potential setting for that to happen.”
Leaders warn in letter of damaging ‘Covid Fatigue’
Wolverhampton Council leader Ian Brookfield and Director of Public Health John Denley today released the text of a joint letter they have written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
They appeal for him to hold back on extra restrictions, warning of “Covid fatigue” and adding: “This could be extremely damaging – accelerating the virus’s spread and the number of vulnerable residents in intensive care or worse.”
The letter calls for current restrictions to remain, with household mixing restricted. They add: “Local data and epidemiology highlight nine-out-of-10 cases in the city were the result of transmission between households. Our approach has always been guided by the evidence.
“We believe this is a good example of where a dialogue was established quickly and successfully between national and local government, and an example of where local intelligence was used to support national decision-makers in delivering a balanced, proportionate and locally reinforced message.
“Our rate per 100,000 is stabilising and indicates positive levels of compliance within the city – indeed West Midlands Police’s recent day of enforcement in our city also highlighted strong compliance. We therefore strongly believe the current approach is supported and beginning to show results. It also carefully balances the need to keep people safe, with the objective of economic wellbeing.”
The letter says moving Wolverhampton into proposed Tier One restrictions would be a “retrogade step” as they do not go far enough. But Tier Two measures would be “extremely damaging”. They say: “They would add to the job losses and misery our city has had to endure. It would particularly affect lower paid employees in families already struggling to cope and our hard-pressed hospitality industry.”
Both men call on Mr Hancock to keep existing measures in place, calling for the “right outcome” and adding: “This would be evidence-based, sensible and proportionate: evidence-based in that it maintains restrictions on household-to-household transmission, sensible as our messages will remain consistent and clear and proportionate because we will protect our economy and evidence does not indicate spread in these settings.”
They add: “Please work with us to deliver the right outcome for our residents, our businesses and our city.”
