Norfolk MPs intervention 'neither wanted nor helpful'

A letter addressed to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has been signed by five of Norfolk's MPs.

It urges them both to reconsider calls for a national lockdown and asks for Greater Manchester to accept tighter regional restrictions instead.

The letter put together by Jerome Mayhew has been signed by 20 MPs in total, including Duncan Baker, James Wild, George Freeman and Chloe Smith.

The letter addresses the "stark differences" in the rate of the virus in Manchester compared with other 'medium' risk areas such as Norfolk.

The MPs claim it "does not make sense to shut down the whole country when the virus is spiking in particular locations" and expresses concerns about the impact of a full lockdown on businesses in areas which don't have high numbers of cases.

It goes on to say: "The cost of a national lockdown in our constituences would be tens of thousands of jobs in hospitality and leisure put at risk needlessly, viable businesses put on the brink, not to mention the toll on our constituents' mental health and access to routine NHS treatment."

The letter ends by urging the region to work with the Government to get the virus under control in Greater Manchester, so "we can all avoid the pain of another national lockdown".

The intervention by MPs, including those from Norfolk, hasn't gone down well though - it's been described by one MP as "neither wanted nor helpful".

Many other MPs from in and around Greater Manchester have also expressed their dislike of the letter: