Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on a review over the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants, and also a “rapid review” over lockdown areas as coronavirus cases are increasing and not going down.
Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson have all urged Boris Johnson to review the 10pm curfew.
Now the Labour leader has joined in calls for this to be reviewed, as there are questions being asked whether or not the 10pm curfew is actually working.
Sir Keir said, “We are supporting the package the government has put in. But I think Andy Burnham in particular has questioned whether the 10pm curfew is working as intended.
“He has pointed, understandably, to lots of people coming out of venues at the same time.
“I suggest it might be a good idea for the government to reflect on what Andy Burnham is saying and ask themselves the question whether that should stay in place.”
Speaking on the Prime Minister’s local lockdown strategy Sir Keir voiced concerns that with 50 areas in local lockdown, only one area has come out these restrictions over the “weeks and months.”
He said, “We have supported these restrictions, but we have now got after this morning’s announcement over 50 areas in local restrictions and over the weeks and months only one area has come out of these restrictions.
“So, we need a strategy, a road map, people need to have hope that this is going to work.”
The Labour leader told reporters the government needs to “massively improve” the way they are communicating and must provide economic support for areas at the same time restrictions were imposed.
He added, “I think we need a rapid review of the local lockdowns because what we are seeing is that in some areas in lockdown the infection rates are going up, not down.
“That’s worrying and there needs to be a review into that.
“In other areas they have been in local lockdown for months and so there needs to be a rapid review – what’s working, what isn’t working, what does the science tell us about that.”
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