While the introduction of local restrictions where it's needed to curb the spread of Covid-19 should be supported, these restrictions must be evidence-based and the rationale must be clear to local people, like you John, for them to be truly effective.

However, new analysis this week reveals that 19 out of the 20 areas in England that have been under local restrictions for at least two months have actually seen an increase in infection rates.

Clearly Boris Johnson’s ‘whack-a-mole’ strategy isn't working. That's why, with the test and trace system in chaos and the Prime Minister unable to explain his own guidelines, Labour is demanding that the government does more to get infection rates down and help millions of families out of lockdown. 

Seventeen million people are currently living under local restrictions – and analysis from Labour shows 440,000 people still on furlough are now living under localised restrictions and another 430,000 are living in towns or cities on the national watch list, like here in Birmingham.

But there is an inconsistency in the support given to those areas that have been placed under localised restrictions. For instance, £3m in support has been offered to Leicester and Oadby and Wigston, equal to £7.30 per person, while the £7m for Liverpool city-region, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough equates to just £3.49 per person.

The West Midlands on the other hand has not received a single penny in funding from the government related to local restrictions to date!

Jack Dromey MP and I have written to the University of Birmingham's Vice-Chancellor, David Eastwood, with our concerns about the proposed potential job losses at the University-owned Edgbaston Park Hotel.

We are calling for an immediate extension of the consultation period for affected staff, the commencement of negotiations between the business, workers and unions, and also ask that the University considers any additional direct support it could provide to help the business through these very difficult times.

You can read the letter in full by clicking the button below.

I am looking forward to Chairing a wide-ranging ‘In Conversation’ event with Keir Starmer at the Co-operative Party's annual conference tomorrow at 10:15am.

You do not have to be a Co-operative Party member to attend the free online conference, and you can join us for this event, and many more, by registering below.