Lib Dems: PM must get a grip of coronavirus spread in the North

Today, Liberal Democrats from across the North of England, including local MP Tim Farron, Leader of South Lakeland District Council Giles Archibald, and Deputy Leader of Cumbria County Council Peter Thornton have written to the Prime Minister stating that the North has been "overlooked by a London-centric government".

The letter calls for a raft measures to be implemented urgently to help stop the spread of the virus across vast swathes of the country.

Some of the measures include:

• Rapidly funding local authorities to enable a local scale-up of the failing test, trace and isolate system
• Increasing support for those who need to self-isolate and cannot work from home
• Expanding furlough support until June 2021

Commenting on the letter, Tim said: "The Government's strategy isn't working. Restrictions in areas across the North have been in place for months, yet they are still experiencing a huge spike in coronavirus cases.

"Urgent action is clearly needed to save lives and livelihoods.

"With national test and trace contacting failing to contact around one in three people who need to self-isolate, we want to see test and trace put in the hands of local public health teams who know their communities far better than Government officials in Whitehall.

"And with just one in five people actually self-isolating, we also want to see proper financial support for people so that they aren't forced to choose between putting food on the table or not spreading the virus.

"People are fed up of politicians squabbling, they want action that is effective and fair and MPs of all parties to work together."