A row has damaged out between the Mayor of Manchester and prime politicians in Scotland over an abrupt journey ban imposed over COVID-19.
Final Friday Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon introduced {that a} ban on non-essential journeys between Scotland and the English metropolis would come into impact on Monday.
The transfer got here as a shock amid a gradual easing of restrictions in each international locations. Though Scotland is a part of the UK, its parliament can rule on issues associated to public well being.
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Higher Manchester, stated the ban was “insulting” and had “come out of the blue”. He known as on the Scottish authorities to compensate native individuals who had deliberate journeys to Scotland within the coming weeks.
“It’s not simply the direct influence on Higher Manchester, it’s on our repute as a metropolis,” he stated. “It’s had an influence on individuals with vacation cottages booked [and] individuals having to go for work causes.”
Scottish chief factors to native COVID-19 figures, accuses Mayor of ‘producing a spat’
Sturgeon defended the ban on Monday on public well being grounds, saying the choice had been taken primarily based on COVID-19 ranges within the space.
One other 10,633 new instances have been recorded within the Higher Manchester space on Monday: one of many highest ranges because the February peak.
New infections have been on the rise throughout the UK in current weeks as a result of unfold of the Delta variant first recognized in India, whereas the nationwide vaccination drive isn’t but full.
Current surveys recommend about 1 in 200 individuals within the Higher Manchester space have had the virus, thrice greater than the charges of an infection in Scotland.
“These are public well being measures,” Sturgeon stated on Monday. “I’ve an obligation, and it’s one I take very severely, to maintain Scotland as secure as attainable.”
The main Scottish Nationwide Occasion has lengthy pushed for Scottish independence from the UK. Sturgeon instructed that Burnham was taking part in politics by pushing again in opposition to the journey ban.
“I’ve all the time received on nicely with Andy Burnham and if he needs to have a grown-up dialog, he solely has to choose up the telephone,” she stated.
“But when, as I think is perhaps the case, that is extra about producing a spat with me as a part of some positioning in a Labour management contest in future, then I’m not . I’m severe about doing that job in a method that retains Scotland as secure as I probably can.”
