Council leader has message as St Helens enters Tier 3 lockdown

Council leaders from across all of the six local authorities in the Liverpool City Region, including Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and Liverpool City Mayor Joe Anderson, met today to discuss the combined authority’s response to the region being placed under Tier 3 lockdown restrictions.

St Helens Borough Council leader David Baines said he has been clear that the region needs a package of measures to protect public health and the local economy, saying the Government has “dithered over both”.

READ > Whiston Hospital preparing to open fourth coronavirus ward amid surging admissions

Cllr Baines also insisted once again that there was “no negotiation” about going into Tier 3 restrictions, which will come into force from Wednesday.

Under the measures, pubs and bars, gyms and leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos will all close.

Cllr Baines said in response to the restrictions, which are being legislated in Parliament today, St Helens Borough Council had strated contacting affected businesses to offer support and advice.

He also warned that we must not lose sight of the fact that we are currently facing a public health crisis, with hospital admissions rising and ICU beds filling up across the region.

St Helens Council leader David Baines

Cllr Baines said: “Whiston Hospital in St Helens and Knowsley Trust was featured on BBC national news last night and it was sobering. It’s the hospital I was born in and the hospital that most people in my borough will use at some point in their lives.

“The number of Covid patients in ICU there has doubled in a week. They’re preparing to open a fourth Covid ward due to the increase in admissions.

“If we don’t get a grip on this quickly then there is not just a chance that no businesses will be back open for Christmas, but worse than that there will be countless avoidable deaths.

“We need to be absolutely focused on supporting business and workers and crucially on bringing down the rate with the intention and hope of protecting lives, and getting businesses back open fully for the vital Christmas period.

“St Helens residents and businesses like people everywhere have made huge sacrifices since March and I know it hasn’t been easy, and we can’t pretend the next few months are going to be anything but challenging.

“We have to stick together, look out for one another, and do everything we can to protect public health.”

During the meeting, the Metro Mayor insisted that the combined authority is still in talks with Government over the wider business support package.

At present, the Government has not offered the region anything above the national offer.

Mr Rotheram also revealed the combined authority is exploring whether it can mount a possible legal challenge against the Government on discrimination grounds against low-paid workers.

Under the Job Support Scheme, furloughed workers will get two-thirds of their wages paid for by the Government, but city region chiefs want the Government to pay 80 per cent like they did during the first wave.

Last week, the combined authority announced a £40 million ‘stop-gap’ fund in a bid to rescue the region’s hospitality and leisure sector from economic collapse.

Today, the Metro Mayor said they will announce a revised emergency stop-gap scheme on Wednesday to take into account the Tier 3 restrictions and “improve upon” the local furlough scheme and business support announced by the Government.

“I think everyone’s gravely concerned about the potential economic impact,” said Cllr Baines.

“That’s why we’ve been fighting so hard for economic support, for a financial package to accompany any new restrictions. And that’s why we’re so disappointed that Government haven’t provided that beyond what they’re doing nationally.

“And that’s why we’re so determined to do what we can locally. There’s already been reports of more young people on Universal Credit claiming benefits in the last six months.

“That’s incredibly worrying and that’s why our Ways to Work team at the council’s working so hard with the DWP to provide free advice and support for young people, and that’s with the support of the city region as well.

“That’s why we’re providing this £40 million package that we’ve put together for businesses across the city region, that businesses in St Helens will be able to apply for funding from.

“That’s why we’re providing clear advice and support. That’s why we’re already contacting businesses to offer what support we can.

“And that’s why cabinet colleagues, including Kate Groucutt, who’s the cabinet member for education, skills and business, and Cllr Jeannie Bell, cabinet member for stronger, safer communities, they’ll be working hard with officers in the days and weeks to come to provide whatever advice and support we can to businesses to get them through this time.”

During the press conference, Mr Rotheram also hit back at the “naysayers” who have criticised city region leaders in recent days, saying they should have simply said “no” to the Government’s new restrictions.

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The Metro Mayor said Government would have implemented the measures with or without the support of the city region leaders, and said they were not prepared to let that happen without fighting for funding to protect jobs, businesses, and the health of the 1.6 million people in the region.

Mr Rotheram said: “Perhaps those naysayers, as people have said, perhaps can tell us what they would do I a similar sort of situation because doing nothing is not an option.

“People are dying. So if that’s the only message that comes out, collectively we’re saying, doing nothing is not an option.

“People are dying.”