Hancock 'knew lockdown tiers wouldn't work'

Burnham blasts ministers for 'behaving appallingly'

- ASHLEY COWBURN & LIZZY BUCHAN

MATT Hancock imposed strict local lockdowns knowing they "would not work", a furious Andy Burnham told the Covid Inquiry.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester accused the former Health Secretary and other ministers of "behaving appallingly" at a meeting to impose Tier 3 restrictions on the city.

The tiered system was introduced in October 2020, with the most severe level three banning people from socialising indoors. 

Quoting written evidence Mr Hancock gave to the inquiry, Mr Burnham said: "He says in his evidence about Tier 3, 'I was in despair that we had announced a policy that we knew would not work".

Mr Burnham added: "It makes me angry on behalf of the people of Greater Manchester that they sat in that room and they imposed a policy that they had been advised by SAGE and others would not work.

Mr Burnham also referred to minutes of a government meeting where a "punishment beating" for Greater Manchester was discussed.