News
Andy Burnham slams MPs for the way London was spared from Tier 3
‘It gives the impression that jobs outside of London are not worth the same.’
Andy Burnham has slammed ministers for their handling of the new tier system, including sparing London from Tier 3.
Mr Burnham has claimed the government took into account the potential economic impact on the capital in sparing London from Tier 3, but did not do the same for Manchester and the rest of the country.
Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has called for a review into how ministers announced what tiers to apply and expressed fury at the way London had been placed in Tier 2.
Speaking on Radio 4, Mr Burnham said: “The question I would ask this morning is why did they consider the economic impact on London in making the recent decisions about tiering but not about anywhere else in the country?”
Adding: “And why have they not put any economic impact data out in this assessment? That is clearly unfair. It gives the impression that jobs outside of London are not worth the same.
“And I think MPs are right to challenge the government on this point. We need to understand what these tiers will do to the economy outside of London and to keep MPs in the dark on that when they are being asked to vote today is quite frankly unacceptable.”
When asked if he accepted the Tier 3 ranking in Greater Manchester, he said: “I can’t dispute the evidence at the moment because we’re above the England average.
“What I do challenge is the way this is being done. The government are doing to the country in December what they did to Greater Manchester in October, that is to railroad it into a punishing underfunded lockdown that will severely damage the hospitality industry and other industries in the supply chain.
“And I hope some Conservative MPs now can understand why we took the stance we did back then. And I say they’re right to take the stance they’re taking now.”
The financial support from the furlough scheme and grants was pointed out to the mayor.
He responded: “Of course, I will look to see what the prime minister puts in the table today. There is talk of more and that is welcome although that’s at a very late hour. The British Beer and Pub Association wrote to the Prime Minister yesterday and they were saying the grants needed to to be the equivalent to the grants in the first lockdown if we’re not to see the loss of huge numbers of pubs across the country.
“Let’s remember what we call wet-led pubs are often in the most deprived communities and they are crucial in those communities because they are a meeting place for people.
“If we see the loss of those pubs, they’ll never come back.
“But there’s a separate issue about the supply chain… The Government have made discretionary support available to councils but what they are saying is there will be no more support for Tier 3 areas than those going into tiers 1 and 2. That cannot possibly be right because this is funding that can be used to support the cleaning industry, catering, security, taxis and all of the industries that are reliant on the pub and restaurant trade.
“And to say to Tier 3 areas you’re getting no more discretionary support than Tier 1 Isle of Wight and Cornwall in Greater Manchester that’s just not a tenable situation.”
Speaking on the decision to allow three household to mix over Christmas, Mr Burnham said: “This is I think part of the problem. The government has been too strict in December to allow a too permissive a Christmas period… I think a more balanced approach should have been taken here.”
The mayor added: “I think a more steady approach would have been better because January is the worst possible time in the National Health Service with or without Covid. And I think it’s a risk to allow five days of mixing of three households.”
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
News
More human remains discovered in Greater Manchester as police identify victim
All the latest updates
Detectives investigating the discovery of a torso in Kersal Dale have found more human remains around Greater Manchester.
GMP released a statement on the weekend, revealing they had opened four scenes for extensive searches – one of them at a warehouse in Bury, and three in Salford.
Searches took place at Blackleach reservoir, where human remains were found, and a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood.
Officers believe they have now identified the man, who they believe to be a man in his 60s that lived in Salford, and his family have been informed.
Two suspects have already been arrested in connection with the murder probe, with officers saying they are thought to have lived with the victim.
Greater Manchester Police / Facebook
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Senior Investigating Officer for this investigation, said in a statement at Blackleach reservoir yesterday, Sunday April 28th: “We have continued to make significant progress in our investigation into human remains being found in Kersal earlier this month.
“From day one, our priority has been to identify the man and his family so that we can give them the support and the answers that they need.
“Thanks to meticulous forensic work, we are now confident we have identified the man. Formal identification hasn’t yet taken place, but we believe he is a man in his 60s and lived in Salford.
“Specially-trained family liaison officers have met with his family this afternoon to give them the devastating news, and we will do all that we can to support them at this awful time.
“We believe he is known to the two suspects we have in custody. They have remained in custody for questioning over the weekend, as we work to establish how the victim met this tragic outcome.”
He continued: “We have painstakingly worked to follow up every line of inquiry in this investigation. Over the last couple of days, we have acted on information and had four scenes in place for extensive searches – one of them is at a warehouse in Bury, and three of them are in Salford, including here at Blackleach reservoir.
“Today, we have found some human remains at the reservoir here, and last night a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood. Forensic tests will continue to establish whose remains these are, but we are very confident that this is also the victim in our investigation.
“We have also been searching a house in Winton where we believe the victim and the two suspects lived. We have found evidence that the victim is likely to have died there – most likely in late March.
“While this is significant progress, we know there is still some way to go to complete this investigation. I also recognise details of this case will have been distressing for the people of Salford and beyond – including the officers that are diligently working on this investigation, and most importantly the man’s heartbroken family.
“Local officers will continue to patrol the affected areas, and we will provide updates when we have more information.”
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Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Manchester Flower Festival returns with tributes to Sarah Harding and Caroline Aherne
