OLDHAM’S MPs and council leader have warned of a “winter of hardship” in Greater Manchester as the city region forced into harsher coronavirus restrictions from midnight on Thursday (October 22).

Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed the stringent Tier 3 rules when negotiations between ministers and local leaders broke down after more than a week, but only confirmed a fraction of the funds Manchester politicians wanted from government.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham accused the Prime Minister of “playing poker” with people’s lives when a deal could not be reached on cash for the region to support them through the measures.

Mr Burnham said leaders of the authorities in Greater Manchester had originally wanted £90 million - £15 million a month until the end of the financial year - to protect incomes for people forced out of work.

They eventually reduced that sum to £65 million - which Mr Burnham described as the “bare minimum to prevent a winter of real hardship” - but ministers would only offer £60 million.

Mr Johnson only confirmed £22 million for the region in a press conference on Tuesday evening - though Health Secretary Matt Hancock later told the House of Commons that the £60 million offer “remains on the table” and added: “Our door is open to further discussions with local leaders in the coming days about business support.”

Mr Hancock also told MPs he would consider thrashing out financial support borough by borough.

Speaking to reporters before the PM’s press conference, Mr Burnham said: “I don’t think it is right to ask people to go into a lockdown, to accept further changes within their lives, without supporting them through all of that.

“How can we carry the public with us through this pandemic if we are forcing them to lose their income, their place of work, without supporting them through that?”

He added: “Are they piling pressure on people to accept the lowest figure that they can get away with? Is that what this is about?”

Deputy Labour leader and Ashton MP Angela Rayner also reacted furiously to what she called the “spiteful, vindictive and nasty” way measures were imposed on the region.

On Twitter she said: “”Millions of families up and down the country are facing a bleak winter of real hardship.as the furlough scheme is withdrawn and further restrictions are put in place without proper support for businesses, jobs and livelihoods.”

Oldham West and Royton MP , Jim McMahon MP for Oldham West and Royton said: “The imposition of Tier 3 upon Greater Manchester without it’s consent is deeply wrong.

“This wasn’t about Labour vs Conservative, there was cross party support here on the ground in Greater Manchester that Tier 3 measures without the relevant support would be immensely damaging.”

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams said: “The government has shown contempt for my constituents and the people of Greater Manchester.

“We are at war with this pandemic and the government must do the right thing.”

Oldham Council leader Sean Fielding, speaking on the BBC’s Newsnight programme said: “Andy Burnham was absolutely right to demand than the £60 million that was put on the table.

“We asked for nothing more than what people were paid back in the spring and summer when they were asked to do exactly the same thing as they are being asked to do now.

“If businesses are closing and people cannot work because their businesses are shut down, then they should be compensated in exactly the same way as they were the first time.”

Meanwhile, Chris Fletcher, policy director at business support organisation Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: “With the clock ticking down to the imposition of Tier 3 on Friday, there is still no confirmation of any extra financial support over and above the £22 million that Greater Manchester is entitled to as part of a national deal to help fight Covid 19.

“It is becoming increasingly urgent that a package is agreed to help support GM businesses with the extra burdens of dealing with Tier 3 restrictions.

“For a substantial time following the announcement on Tuesday it appeared that all additional funding had been completely withdrawn by government a point seemingly reinforced by the Prime Minister during his press conference.

“However following the Health Secretary’s address to the House of Commons later in the evening it now appears that the offer from government of £60 million is very much still ‘on the table’.”