Shropshire chamber calls on PM to apply five key tests over new restrictions

Chief executive Richard Sheehan is among a host of chamber bosses to sign a letter sent to the Prime Minister.

It follows a week of increasing regionally-tiered restrictions, with more severe ‘circuit breaker’ restrictions under consideration, as the country battles a second wave of the pandemic.

It is also believed the Welsh government will announce a circuit breaker lockdown.

The letter challenges the Government to apply five business tests to current and prospective coronavirus restrictions:

• Are the restrictions evidence-based and targeted effectively?

• Are the restrictions clear, and do businesses have time to prepare?

• Is support for businesses commensurate with the impact on them?

• Will the time that the restrictions are in place be used to significantly improve the Test, Trace and Isolate system?

• Is there a clear process for increasing and decreasing restrictions?

The letter states: “While the recent announcement of an enhanced Job Support Scheme will assist some firms, chamber members tell us it will not be enough to stave off mass redundancies and business failures.”

There is also a clear warning that improving the Government’s ailing test and trace system is the only way to get a grip on the virus over the long term and prevent economic paralysis.

The letter adds: “The need for additional restrictions cannot be blamed on a lack of care by hardworking people in businesses across the country.

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"Instead, it represents a failure of the test and trace system, which must be urgently improved and expanded.”

Mr Sheehan and his fellow chamber chief executives say there are clear consequences of acting without meeting the tests.

They say: “These tests must be met – to avoid serious damage to business and consumer confidence, and potentially catastrophic economic consequences.

“We must preserve our economy in the immediacy, while also laying the foundations of future growth. Failure to do so will undermine any broader efforts to ‘level up’ left-behind parts of the UK.”

The letter concludes: “The Coronavirus is not going away anytime soon. The government must waste no more time in setting out a clear strategy to keep the economy functioning, while protecting public health over the long term.”

Manchester row

It comes as the row over Greater Manchester’s coronavirus status continues.

Greater Manchester’s leaders have resisted moving into Tier 3, which would see pubs and bars ordered to close as part of a package of strict measures, but Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it was time for “decisive action”.

He said a range of support had been offered to the region, including “more resources for local councils”, greater involvement in contact tracing and the potential use of the military to assist local authorities.

Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, has pressed for a Commons vote to break the “impasse”.

Senior Conservatives, including the influential chairman of the 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady, have backed the Greater Manchester mayor in resisting Tier 3 for the region.

Mr Burnham called for MPs to help workers and businesses hit with the harshest restrictions by having an urgent debate this week, warning “this is not just a Greater Manchester issue”.

Mr Jenrick said there had been “productive” negotiations with Greater Manchester but Monday’s talks would be the “final discussions”.