MERSEYSIDE MP Conor McGinn has called for the nation to “share the pain” with a two-week lockdown applied to the whole country to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The MP for St Helens North, who is also the Shadow Minister for Security, claims the move is necessary to “get the whole country out of this mess”.
Making his statement in Parliament today, Mr McGinn claimed his constituency, which came under the new Tier 3 or 'Very High' lockdown restrictions as of this morning, has been “let down by systemic failures by the Government".
“Businesses have played their part in my community; pubs, gyms, leisure centres, betting shops and casinos have all expended huge amounts of money and resources in getting themselves ready to reopen only to have been let down by systemic failures on the part of the Government on test, trace and isolate,” the Armagh native said.
Mr McGinn addressed MPs in Parliament today“I am not opposed to restrictions where they are required and necessary and let me say clearly that I am worried about the rising rate of infection in Merseyside and in St Helens, and about the increased incidence of hospitalisations, but if these restrictions are to be imposed, we need to see evidence for them and a measure of financial support,” he added.
“It speaks volumes that the Government failed to provide that in a bespoke way for St Helens and Merseyside.”
Under the new lockdown alert system, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday, October 12, pubs in the Liverpool City Region not serving meals must close, along with gyms, leisure centres, betting shops and casinos.
It also means there can be no mixing of households indoors and outdoors, including in private gardens, across the Merseyside area.
“We need help from the Government,” Mr McGinn stated.
“Our businesses need the resources to survive and our NHS needs the tools and staff to get through a difficult number of months.”
He added: “It is time that everybody shared in the pain, in a short break, a national lockdown for two weeks to get this under control and for the Government to develop an exit strategy to get the whole country out of this mess.”
