Andy Burnham urges government to extend eviction ban or risk homelessness surge in Greater Manchester

direct to your inboxBoris Johnson today said the government will keep Greater Manchester's flood defences under review after the River Mersey came 'very close' to flooding. The Prime Minister visited south Manchester this morning after Storm Christoph raged through the region and the canal almost breached its banks.

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham says Greater Manchester’s flood defences worked far better than in 2015 last night thanks to subsequent investment and good planning - making its resilience in the face of Storm Christoph a ‘good news story’.But he admitted a ‘bigger look’ would now need to be taken at the Mersey.Hundreds of people had to be evacuated overnight in south Manchester as record rainfall saw the river come within a couple of centimetres of overtopping late yesterday.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester is forecasting 200 Covid patients in critical care by next week as the system gears up for an exhausting, drawn-out third wave peak.That projection is 25pc higher than the worst part of November's second wave, according to M.E.N.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was placed in ‘special measures’ following a damning inspection report last month.

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has promised a 'new era' at Greater Manchester Police after the force was placed in 'special measures'.The mayor held his first policing press conference yesterday since former Chief Constable Ian Hopkins was asked to step down in the wake of a scathing inspection report.

direct to your inboxGreater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham wants to add £15 to the average council tax bill to help restore our failing police force.In his first policing press conference since Ian Hopkins was forced out of his job as the chief constable of GMP, the mayor outlined his vision for a 'new era' of policing.GMP was effectively placed in 'special measures' just before Christmas when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) inspectors estimated the force had failed to properly

straight to your inbox every day for freeMarcus Rashford has admitted he would have loved to have played under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. In a wide-ranging interview with the FWA, Rashford has spoken about his career on the pitch with United as well as work done off the pitch in the past 12 months.

straight to your inbox every day for freeWayne Rooney has heaped praise on Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford for challenging the government on a number of key issues over the past year.Rashford successfully campaigned for the government to continue the free school meals scheme last year and held the government accountable again this week after images of the shocking packages vulnerable families had received went viral on social media.Prime Minister Boris Johnson branded the food packages

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham admits there is 'a real worry' about the NHS in Greater Manchester due to the spiralling number of coronavirus patients.The Mayor revealed today there were 119 people in intensive care units and 922 in general hospital beds with covid-19 on January 5.That represents a 'steep rise' in the number of people in ICU, in particular, the mayor said.And the figures are, in fact, likely to be 'quite a bit worse than that', Mr Burnham added, as the situation is changing so

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has defended his handling of the crisis at Greater Manchester Police, saying: "I'm absolutely happy to be held to account". The force was put in special measures following a damning inspection report last month which found it failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year.

Greater Manchester hospitals could face a surge in patients in the coming fortnight.The number of coronavirus patients in UK hospitals is now over 30,000 and today a further 1,041 Covid-19 deaths were announced - the highest daily total since April.Boris Johnson today proposed legislation that will allow England's third national lockdown to run until March 31 but he warned that the restrictions are unlikely to be lifted wholesale and that there will be an easing back into local tiers if

direct to your inboxThe coronavirus vaccination programme is underway in Greater Manchester.A number of vaccine centres offering the Pfizer jab opened before Christmas.Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised that 1,000 vaccination sites will go 'live' across the country by Friday. Meanwhile, the Etihad Tennis and Football Centre has been confirmed by the Govenment as one of seven 'super-vaccination' centres due to open next week.

direct to your inboxA Manchester MP has highlighted to the Prime Minister the plight of an unemployed constituent living during the Covid-19 pandemic on just £8 a month.Speaking in the Commons as Parliament was recalled today to vote on regulations enforcing the country's latest coronavirus restrictions, Jeff Smith told Boris Johnson of 'Ross', who he said lost his job during the first national coronavirus lockdown in March.The Withington MP said his constituent was one of many who have 'fallen

Just before Boris Johnson announced the new national lockdown on Monday, Olivia Attwood managed to squeeze in a spot of retail therapy before having to be stuck indoors.The reality star, who looked uncrecognisable without lip fillers in a throwback snap, was spotted in Manchester city centre on Saturday afternoon.The 29 year old wore a grey tracksuit hoodie and pants for the outing and wore a protective face mask on her chin as she engaged in a phone call.

direct to your inboxParents have been left angry and frustrated after Boris Johnson insisted that primary schools were safe despite ongoing pressure to keep them closed.Primaries are due to reopen in Tier 4 areas except London tomorrow despite growing concerns about a new variant of coronavirus.Unions, teachers and scientists have urged the government to delay the reopening to curb mounting transmission rates.

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has called for the government to delay the reopening of primary schools or give the decision to local leaders to avoid 'chaos'. Greater Manchester's mayor outlined his position amid growing pressure on the government to keep schools closed tomorrow.

direct to your inboxThe number of coronavirus patients in Greater Manchester hospitals is rising as it emerged 25pc of cases have been identified as belonging to the new strain.The Mayor Andy Burnham said while the current picture of the region's health system is 'challenging but manageable', he is concerned that the fast-spreading variant of Covid-19 could 'overwhelm' it.He therefore welcomed the government's decision to put Greater Manchester in Tier 4, the highest level of restrictions.It

direct to your inboxUp to 25pc of all new coronavirus cases across Greater Manchester can be attributed to the new strain seen spreading rapidly through southern England.Experts predict there could be even higher number of new cases down to the new variant currently due to a data lag.Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced the figures at a press conference this morning.He said that partly as a result of this new strain, he and Greater Manchester’s leaders are in agreement with the

direct to your inboxAndy Burnham has said that Greater Manchester's move into Tier 4 is "justified" but has encouraged a more national approach.The Mayor of Greater Manchester held his final coronavirus press conference of 2020 after the region was placed under the toughest restrictions.From 00.01 on Thursday, millions of people have been subjected to a stay home order with non-essential businesses also forced to close.During his press conference, Mr Burnham confirmed that the new variant of

direct to your inboxA massive 35,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have already been distributed across Greater Manchester – and more are set to follow.Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham gave a press conference this morning (Thursday) and announced the plan for the region’s vaccine distribution.He said 12,000 of the vaccines already provided were given at hospital hubs and 23,000 via the region’s primary care network.Mr Burnham said 25 per cent of Greater Manchester’s new coronavirus cases