Warwick and Leamington MP slams Government decision to put Warwickshire in Tier 3 of Covid-19 restrictions system

In recent days Mr Western has written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asking for urgent clarification on why the area has been placed in Tier 3 restrictions.

In the letter he highlights that other areas with similar infection rates have been placed in Tier 2 and urges the Secretary of State to use District council level data as the basis of tiers – which would see decisions for which tier Warwick & Leamington is in made separately from the north of the county, which currently has a higher rate of infection.

Under Tier 3, you must not meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble. Hospitality settings, such as bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants will be closed except for takeaway and delivery services. Accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and guest houses must also close.

Mr Western has also written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, alongside the Chairs of the Leamington Chamber of Trade and Warwick Chamber of Trade, asking for greater financial support for local businesses who will be affected.

MPs are due to vote on the proposed Tiers on Tuesday 1st December. If voted through the House of Commons, the restrictions will come into effect from the beginning of Wednesday 2nd December.

This will be a yes or no vote to the proposed tiers and if the restrictions are voted down, then there would be no restrictions in place on Wednesday – which makes the vote more difficult for those opposed to the proposed tiers.

Mr Western said: “I have been inundated by residents who are baffled that Warwick & Leamington entered lockdown in Tier 1 and will come out of it into Tier 3.

"This will be seriously damaging to local businesses and places deep restrictions on our social lives. But the Government is playing games because we need restrictions and to vote against the motion would result in no restrictions whatsoever in England which is clearly dangerous and irresponsible.

"That said, the Government is deceiving the public in how it is applying these restrictions and I fear it has lost the public’s trust which is, in turn, impacting on compliance. Surely the whole point of tiers is to reflect local conditions and the situation in North Warwickshire and Solihull is very different to that here in Warwick and Leamington.

"I want to see the tiers applied by District / Borough Council area, ie for the Warwick District area and not the Warwickshire County area.

"This demonstrates why the Government should have acted harder and faster by introducing a circuit break much earlier – as myself and other Labour colleagues were calling for. We will now be paying the price for the Government’s dither and delay.

"This decision has been taken by the Government in Westminster, without input from local representatives like myself. I am pressing for full transparency on the basis of this decision, and challenging why Warwick District has been placed in the highest Tier alongside other areas, rather than being judged as a lower-tier Local Authority area which would make most sense under a localised tier system.

"This decision also proves why Warwickshire County’s Council’s plans for a unitary authority is wrong for our area – the needs for the south of the county are much different than those for the north and we should not be lumped together unless we want more of these kinds of nonsensical decisions to come our way.”