Andy Burnham responds to joint statement from Government and M9

THE MAYOR of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has responded to the joint statement issued today by the Government and the M9 group of directly elected regional mayors on plans for the response to and economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: "I’m glad that I and our leaders in Greater Manchester have been given the responsibility to lead on the recovery of our city-region, working with central government and regional partners.

"It’s right that those closer to the ground are the ones steering our future, responding to our unique needs and challenges. The COVID crisis has been tough on everyone so we must use this opportunity to build back better. It won’t be business as usual.

"This includes supporting employers to re-open and employees to return to work safely, making sure our councils are properly funded to provide the vital services we need - including accommodating our homeless, making sure our transport modes are on a stable financial footing - including Manchester Airport and Metrolink, ensuring we keep the benefits of the cleaner air by expanding projects like our Bee Network, and matching skills with the jobs that will be needed in our recovery phase with the digital infrastructure we will need to do that.

"It’s going to take a lot of work as we recover, but I’m confident we can do that together and make sure we don’t leave anyone behind."

The joint statement from the Government and M9: 

"The Prime Minister, Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick and Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government Simon Clarke today spoke with the M9 group of Mayors and leader of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to update them on the current situation and to discuss their role in the response to coronavirus.

“The Prime Minister agreed that the Mayors have a vital leadership role to play in planning for the economic recovery in their own respective regions and made clear that the Government will continue to work closely with them as it seeks to restart the economy whilst preventing a second wave of the virus.”

Article Published: 01/05/2020 17:55 PM