our political correspondent nick eardley is here. nick, how big a moment is this?atter because the prime minister only talks to his european counterpart at crunch moments. the reason this is a crunch moment is because this is officially the last round of talks that were last week and there are still some big outstanding issues. there has been progress on a couple of key elements where this debate has been going on for some time. there has been no breakthrough. i don't expect that there will be today. but what today is likely to do is set the scene for more talks over the next few weeks. and again, that really matters because it shows both sides still wa nt because it shows both sides still want this to happen and still think it's possible. now, there is no guarantee that it will be done but in the last few days in downing street and in brussels there has been increasing optimism that the two can reach some sort of compromise but not for the first time in this process things are going to go down to the wire. nick ea rd ley, going to go down to the wire. nick eardley

nick eardley, bbc news. with me now is our political correspondentjessica parker.spondent jessica parker. debate the correspondentjessica parker. debate going on, ho‘ this the debate going on, how much is this a continuing problem for the government in headline terms?” think over the past few days, what you have seen, in occluding conservative councils, private businesses, community groups, stepping in and saying that over this coming half term, they will provide the equivalent of a free school meal for eligible children, so school meal for eligible children, soi school meal for eligible children, so i think it is turned into something of a pr problem for the government. the government are saying they are giving support, just in different ways, so money to councils for example an increasing welfare support. they say as well that they welcome the the support businesses are providing. brandon lewis was on the andrew marr programme this morning. businesses and organisations that are putting these out there in the holidays to support families i think are doing a great

nick eardley, bbc news, westminster.will choose its next president. the bbc‘s clive myrie will be bringing you a series of special reports looking at the key issues for voters as they choose between donald trump and his democratic party rival, joe biden. here's a preview. america isn'tjust a place. it's an idea. and the enduring power of the american dream is that it's universal, the craving for a better life. i'm the last mohican. donald trump said the dream was dying, and he'd make america great again. i know that we will win! they want to rob you of your hope. but how great is america now, as trump seeks re—election? the guy in the white house right now is crazier than a loon. i'll be reporting from arizona, america's backyard with mexico, and a state now threatening to back the democrats after voting for donald trump in 2016. i'll explore policies on immigration... the worst of the worst is coming through this area. ..on race... the hearts of people have held on to relics of the past. ..and covid—19. people are dying

nick eardley, bbc news. i spoke to paediatrician, and member of the royal college of paediatrics and child health here in the uk, dr max davie. he says food poverty is a public health issue. it's got a very big impact and we have very good data that it impacts both on children's mental and physical health, so we feel that it's a valid issue for the college to speak on. calling it, you know, saying that we are politicising an issue that shouldn't be political seems to me to be nonsense. because the government has a responsibility to its citizens and all we're doing is asking that the government look after its most vulnerable citizens. if that is politicising an issue then we are guilty of that, but i would say that that is just doing ourjob as paediatricians who are interested and concerned for the welfare of children of the uk generally. let me just put to you what the government as saying. they are saying that they are helping children in this position, the government, they say, has expanded eligibility for

nick eardley, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news...atment for coronavirus. the prime minister warns there could be "a very tough winter" ahead, as the country deals with coronavirus. cineworld is reported to be on the verge of closing all its sites in the us, the uk and ireland. more than 5,000 jobs are at risk in the uk. sport, and for a full round—up, from the bbc sport centre... an externally resulted in the london marathon. it was a thrilling sprint finish to the end of the london marathon with ethiopian shura kitata just pipping kenyan vincent kipchumba to the line. the world record holder brigid kosguy won the women‘s race earlier in a very different covid safe marathon. 0ur correspondantjoe wilson is on the mall. how much of a surprise was the men‘s win? a big surprise. we havejust been given a polite ripple of applause, of the others who were here to the wheelchair race. there is the one competitor today, it is so unusual and unique but it will be remembered for some real surprise results. the organisers would have anticipated

nick eardley, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news...resident trump says he's doing well — but that the next few days will be crucial as he continues his treatment for coronavirus. the prime minister warns there could be "a very tough winter" ahead, as the country deals with coronavirus. cineworld is reported to be on the verge of closing all its sites in the us, the uk and ireland. more than 5,000 jobs are at risk in the uk. staying with that story now — and the cinema operator cineworld is expected to temporarily close all its sites in the uk. it has been hit by delays in the release of big—budget films, putting nearly 5,500 jobs at risk. the next gen staff next gen are being asked to accept redundancy in the hope of re—joining the company when cinemas open again. the film critic, jason solomons said many cinema chains are finding it difficult to entice people back to the big screen. ifjames bond isn't brave enough to go into the movie houses, nor is black widow, nor is wonder woman, then what hope do we mere mortals have? people are r

nick eardley. are being welcomed back into saudi arabia's great mosque in mecca to perform the pilgrimage of umrah, after a seven month pause because of coronavirus restrictions. at first, only 6000 saudi nationals and foreign residents will be allowed to perform the ritual, which can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the hajj, which has specific dates according to the islamic calendar. dr carool kersten is a reader of islam at king's college london, he lived in saudi arabia for ten years and has been closely following the pilgrimage processes this year during the coronavirus pandemic. thank you for being with us. how it has coronavirus hit worship in saudi arabia? it has hit it very severely of course and the saudi government in the spring did not shy away from putting in very stringent measures. the two main site of islamic worship, in mecca and medina, were basically close to the public. gradually there was some access again restored but there are very strict cleansing measur

nick eardley, bbc news. andy burnham is the labour mayor of greater manchester.s now thank you for being with us this afternoon. you were saying in an interview this morning we thought we had reached the point of the public in your part of the country losing faith in the messages they are getting from central government. how are you measuring that? what sort of sense are you getting on the ground that people are beginning to come disaffected? it is just that people are so fed up. we have been under restrictions without the support that is needed. i'll give you an example. in bolton businesses were closed for weeks, hospitality businesses, and yet there was no compensation for those businesses or the polo scheme but they could support. —— furlough. that is what will make patients run out. we are under local restrictions but without the local support that we need or local furlough scheme. the government does need now to do an urgent rethink of its local lockdown policy. it needs to sit down with us and negotiate a new approach so that we can go into the winter with

nick eardley, bbc news, westminster.at the number of people testing positive for coronavirus is slightly lower than yesterday, with 6,914 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. that means the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 6,260. and as new cases have climbed, so have daily hospital admissions, with 373 people being admitted on average each day over the past week. this number doesn't include scotland. 59 deaths were reported — that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test — again slightly lower than yesterday. that means on average in the past week, 43 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 42,202. a major study suggests that the rate at which the coronavirus is spreading in england may be slowing down — that's after the last few weeks of rapid growth. 0ur medical editor fergus walsh has been taking a detailed look at the numbers. this is a huge enterprise. every month, 150,000 people fro

nick eardley is in westminster.g for the government, and with potentially serious practical consequences too? it doesn't do much more confidence in the system. track and trace is a central part of the government strategy to suppress the virus in england. it is supposed to, if the ministers‘ plans were working, give everybody an idea of where the virus is spreading but also tell people who may be spreading it or who may have come into contact, that they are not supposed to leave the house. there is a realisation in government that the system isn‘t world beating, as was promised. at the moment, it needs to do better. there is also that practical, real—world impact that practical, real—world impact that this glitch will have, which is that this glitch will have, which is that potentially thousands of people who should have been at home, who could be spreading the virus, were not contacted by the nhs for several days. the prime minister was asked this morning if he knew how many people that was. he doesn‘t. the governme

our political correspondent, nick eardley, reports.a drink in liverpool at the weekend, but for the next few weeks at least this won't be possible. 1.5 million people in the liverpool city region are facing significant new curbs. pubs, gems and some other venues closed to try and stop the spread of coronavirus. the point of doing this now is to ensure that we get the disease under control. we've seen it rapidly rising, certainly in those areas. we need to take action because if we don't take this reasonable measured and proportionate action now, we will have to take more difficult action further down the line. this afternoon, the government will detail a new three tier system for local restrictions. tier one, medium risk, will see measures similar to those already in place of much of england. the rule of six and early closing times for hospitality. tier two, high risk, is likely to be more restrictions on household mixing. the top tier, very high risk, will see a raft of new restrictions, with some hospitality venues. close their doors

tonight tried to calm the increasingly heated debate on the issue. 0ur political correspondent nick eardleyuch of an issue is this proving for the government? ministers are arguing that they've put a lot of support in place, tens of millions for local councils to help vulnerable families, billions in welfare support. at the moment they are resisting a u—turn like the one we saw in the summer when they said they would provide vouchers during the holidays. but the issue isn't going away. that's partly because marcus rashford keeps talking so very publicly about it. scores of businesses in england have said they will provide meals because of his campaign. many councillors are stepping in, too, some of them are stepping in, too, some of them are tory led councils like hillingdon, covering boris's own constituency. many tory mps have been on social media defending the government position. the debate is heated. it's a politically divisive issue. marcus rashford saying he wa nts to issue. marcus rashford saying he wants to calm things down and that the abuse has been unacceptable and must end. i t

we're joined now by our political correspondent nick eardley in westminster.on greater manchester but discussions are ongoing with other councils as well about potentially moving into tier 3? that's right, we know of at least four the government is having talks with at the moment because they've told us we have south yorkshire, which seems to be on the brink of agreeing some sort of deal, we have west yorkshire as well, nottinghamshire and the north—east, and they will be looking at what's happened in the last few days to figure out roughly what they are going to get as regions if they end up going to get as regions if they end up in that highest tier of restrictions. 0n up in that highest tier of restrictions. on one hand you have what dan johnson was restrictions. on one hand you have what danjohnson was telling us about, which is the government saying this is how we have roughly calculated it for liverpool and lancashire so far so we will give you something along a similar formula. those councils that are potentially looking at tier 3 will be looking at tha

our political correspondent nick eardley reports.virus has never been easy but, as the virus spreads and cases rise, the government's lockdown plans are coming under real pressure. it wants greater manchester to face the strictest measures, closing pubs and banning households mixing in most places, to try and get covid under control, but mayor andy burnham is furious, saying the government's plans are flawed, and don't offer enough support for local people, whose workplace might be forced to close. this was his message to the government yesterday... greater manchester, the liverpool city region, and lancashire are being set up as the canaries in the coal mine for an experimental regional lockdown strategy, as an attempt to prevent the expense of what is truly needed. this is an important moment. greater manchester will stand firm. many conservative politicians in the region are unhappy too. this morning, there will be more talks to try and reach agreement. the final decision is one for ministers but they desperately want local suppor

led by the manchester united and england footballer marcus rashford. 0ur political correspondent nick eardleyts. at old trafford yesterday, marcus rashford back at the day job for the goalless draw against chelsea. but his work off the field, campaigning for free meals for schoolchildren over the holidays, is getting him just as many headlines. with businesses queueing up to offer meals and many local councils stepping in too, he tweeted last night, "the compassion and empathy i've seen over the last 48 hours has really blown me away. "i am so, so thankful and so very proud." he also condemned unacceptable abuse mps and their families had faced after days of charged debate online. the government is saying its position won't change, it isn't funding free meals over the holidays, instead saying tens of millions is being given to councils to support families and billions is available for welfare support. but some conservative mps are worried about that position. the former children's minister tim loughton said on facebook he wanted a change of policy. he wrote, "i will now lobby ministers to rev

nick eardley, bbc news. 0ur political correspondent jessica parkerjoins us now.ure is mounting on the government. do we expect that a u—turn is on the way? government. do we expect that a u-turn is on the way? the government is saying that will not happen but we have been here before. the government did you turn on this very issue. you remember back in the summer. issue. you remember back in the summer. because issue. you remember back in the summer. because of a issue. you remember back in the summer. because of a campaign by one marcus rashford. i think that the calculation being made today in downing street is if the policy is worth the pain and the bad pr they are getting. you have paediatricians lining up as a big government should think again. community groups are stepping in to provide skill to make free school meals over the break. many mps are saying publicly that the government to change its policy. 0n the government to change its policy. on top of that the labor party is saying they will bring another vote on this issue. 0ne assumes that it will be som

with me is our political correspondent, nick eardley. what else has been saying?orse? we have seen a rising number of positive cases but also the government really relu cta nt to cases but also the government really reluctant to put on big national measures and instead focusing on local ones in different parts of the country. i think we got a mixed message from boris johnson country. i think we got a mixed message from borisjohnson this morning. he was saying as you say that people should be fearless as long as they use their common sense but also really cautious about what the next few months might look like. what we want people to do is to behave fearlessly but with common sense, fearlessly but with common sense, fearlessly but with common sense, to follow the guidance whether national or local and get the virus down but allow us as a country to continue with our priorities. so continue to keep kids in education, continue to keep our economy moving and as far as we possibly can. and what i hope, and believe very strongly, is that in the course of the next few we

our political correspondent nick eardley reports.ve of the half term break, fiona crump is preparing food bags. these will be given to local children in falmouth in cornwall over the next few days. there are fears that with schools closed for the holidays and the pandemic hitting people's incomes, some families are struggling to put food on the table. i'll show you what i've got in the fridge. people like claire, a single mum of three who says the next few days will be a struggle. i'm really anxious because i'm just like, have i got enough that's going to last till i get that payment on the last day of the month when i can go and do my shopping? you know, it's very stressful, very ha rd. is there any cheese left? and the government is facing increasing pressure for not stepping in, like it did earlier this year. ministers have spent colossal sums in recent months to keep people in jobs and businesses open. but now they're facing claims that they're failing to provide the money needed to feed vulnerable children. we support local auth

publishing some of the positive results from the last week of september. 0ur political correspondent nick eardleyas so high yesterday because it included a lot of tests not recorded properly over a week period between 24th of september and the 1st of october. we do not know when those tests were ta ken so we don‘t know what it means for the other days in which he figures have gone up and down but what the government is saying is we shouldn‘t necessarily take that figure at face value because it does include those previous tests. in india, the chief minister of the state of uttar pradesh has called for police to investigate the alleged gang rape and murder of a 19—year—old dalit woman. the case has sparked outrage across india and triggered days of protests. ishleen kaur has more. another day of stand—offs and clashes between state police officials, journalists and the leaders of india‘s opposition party. "no force can silence us" — these were the words of former congress president rahul gandhi after meeting the family of the 19—year—old dalit woman who was allegedly gang raped and murdered in nor

nick eardley, bbc news.ls in england have been put on standby, to provide extra capacity to the nhs, if needed. cases are rising across most of the country, but the north west is the worst affected. our health correspondent anna collinson reports. they were set up to protect the nhs from being overwhelmed during the height of the coronavirus crisis, but now staff at some of the nightingale hospitals are once again readying themselves for a potential surge. we have asked the nightingale hospitals in manchester, sunderland and harrowgate to prepare for this next phase. they are being asked to mobilise over the next few weeks, to be ready to accept patients, if necessary. latest government figures say there are around 4,000 covid patients in hospital in the uk. treating 60% of cases, hospitals in the north of england are under particular pressure. 231 patients on ventilators are in the north west and north east and yorkshire — more than half the total figure for england. data shows coronavirus cases are rising

nick eardley, bbc news, westminster. 0ur political correspondent iain watson is at westminster.efore the half term holiday. borisjohnson just before the half term holiday. boris johnson strongly just before the half term holiday. borisjohnson strongly defending his regional approach to tackling the crisis. now all sorts of rancour really between central and local government, and three examples came up government, and three examples came up during the course of prime minister's questions. 0ne up during the course of prime minister's questions. one of them was over south yorkshire itself. looked as though it was all sweetness and light when a deal was announced as £41 million of support, and journalists, —— dan jarvis, saying it was not an option, and he was going along with this, and then some of the politicians from the area saying perhaps this wasn't such area saying perhaps this wasn't such a good deal after all for example the former mayor of sheffield council, clive betts, said it was given on a take it or leave it basis. the leader of rotherham council has said something se

here's our political correspondent, nick eardley. his report contains some flashing images.gn of the strange times. the prime minister arriving at the bbc wearing a face mask. getting his temperature checked. coronavirus has changed the way many others live, but also how he governs. boris johnson's strategy is increasingly under scrutiny. it was put to him that some are furious. they are furious at me and furious with government. they are. but, i have got to tell you, in all candour, it is going to continue to be bumpy through to christmas and it may even be bumpy beyond. there was more optimism about spring. but for now, mrjohnson admitted local restrictions, like those in place in liverpool, could be frustrating. the testing regime, he said, was not perfect, but he insisted balance was needed to protect health and the economy. fearlessly, but with common sense, fearlessly, but with common sense, fearlessly, but with common sense, to follow the guidance. whether national or local. get the virus done. but allow us as a country to continue with our priorities. the prime minis

northern england currently under increased lockdown restrictions. 0ur political correspondent nick eardleympting to balance keeping the spread of the virus until control without doing any further damage to the uk economy. the government is really reluctant to put in big national measures, instead focusing on local ones in different parts of the country. i think we got a slightly mixed message from boris johnson on that this morning. as you said, he was saying people should be fearless as long as they used common sense but he was also really cautious about what the next few months might look like. have a listen. what we want people to do is to behave fearlessly but with common sense, fearlessly but with common sense, to follow the guidance, whether national or local, get the virus down but allow us, as a country, to continue with our priorities. continue to keep kids in education, continue to keep our economy moving. and as far as we possibly can. and what i hope is that, and i believe very strongly, is that in the course of the next few weeks and months, the scientific equation will change

our political correspondent nick eardley said relations between the two sides remain strained after thescrap plans which could override parts of the withdrawal agreement. there is no doubt that the european side are extremely frustrated with that legislation which ministers admit would break the withdrawal agreement signed just last year, however at the same time i think there has been some progress in the last week or so, particularly on that issue of state aid and whether the uk can give pretty substantial subsidies to british companies after the transition period ends at the end of this year. there are those significant sticking points still. they have been there for some time. we have talked about them ad nauseam it feels like for the last three months, however today matters because it is the two top people, the european commission chief and the prime minister, saying what room is there here for compromise, how much time do we need to give it? and i suspect by the end of the day there will be more time allocated for intense talks to try and get those remaining elements over the line

here's our political correspondent, nick eardley. margaret ferrier with nicola sturgeon last year.om london to glasgow, despite testing positive for coronavirus, she has been suspended from the snp group at westminster and is under intense pressure to resign com pletely intense pressure to resign completely from parliament. her actions were reckless, dangerous and com pletely actions were reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible. i feel very angry on behalf of all of you. i have also spoken to her directly and made crystal clear to her, that i think she should now resign as an mp. i would like to start by paying tribute to all nhs key workers... this is margaret ferrier in parliament on monday. her decision to attend has caused outrage. 0n saturday she had shown symptoms and had taken a coronavirus test. at that point, she should have isolated. 0n that point, she should have isolated. on monday she felt better and travel to london. after speaking in parliament, she received a positive test result and at that point, by law, she should have isolated but travelled back to scotl

our political correspondent nick eardley reports. why is it so chaotic?e people of manchester? big question for the government over its local restrictions plan. after a breakdown in talks with greater manchester and warnings of a went ahead, many have questioned what economic support will be available and what the exit plan is as many employees face weeks with their workload. their rent and mortgage will not be lower. their food and heating bills will not be lower and that could last for months. why can't the prime minister and the chancellor understand this? stop bargaining with people's live, stop dividing communities and provide the support that is needed in manchester. the government says it is offering proportionate funding to all areas and manchester would get the money offered yesterday, £60 million distributed to local boroughs. no other country in europe, mr speaker, where so much support and help has been given to the population to get through this crisis and we will continue to do that. but for local measures be enough? labour is calling for a

nick eardley, reported from westminster, thank you.tier 3 restrictions. earlier i spoke to our correspondent geeta pendse, from the city centre. this was widely anticipated comedy announcements about individual tier 3 for nothing and, it was an entity yesterday and shall take effect from thursday, it will also be full support of nottinghamshire —— this was widely anticipated announcement about moving into tier 3 for nothing. there are questions about why it took so long to place these areas into tier 3, because nottingham had the highest level of interaction in england for nine consecutive days. that rate has fallen and it is now the 24th highest in england but despite that job they are concerned, officials here, about writing infection in older age groups, especially the over 65s, and they‘ll worried about pressures on the nhs, with a significant rise in hospital admissions which they say is why they are taking action now and these restrictions will come into place from thursday. just like another pa rt from thursday. just like anothe

let's talk to our political correspondent nick eardley.the house of commons and explain what is going on? the answer is yes. he will be there at 3:30pm. i suspect he will get a pretty hard time. there are two key things to ta ke time. there are two key things to take away. one is the fact that the figures we have been looking out over the past few days are not necessarily correct. that undermines confidence in them. but it also means that when we look at where the disease is worst, we might not be getting the full picture. because we think that a number of the tests that have not been added to these figures are from the north—west. it will be really interesting to see my once they are added, whether it changes the areas which are seen those extra restrictions, how badly or well they might be doing. the second thing is there are practical implications. as well as not adding those figures to the overall numbers, although people who tested positive were told their contacts weren't necessarily traced, and that creates an issue because some peo

nick eardley, bbc news, westminster.n't go into her head. well, i think she moaned about that other guy, that dominic cummings, and he was in his car. she came up on the public transport. i think it's a bit rich. you know, we're all doing our bit and i don't see why she's not. my wife works at the hospital as a nurse and she is dealing with covid patients, and i think it‘s a bit hypocritical for people who tell us what to do when people like my wife and the stress levels that they are going through dealing with these people, do you know what i mean? some of margaret ferrier‘s constituents there. commission president, ursula von der leyen, borisjohnson will hold talks tomorrow with the european commission president, ursula von der leyen, as the two sides seek a breakthrough in post—brexit trade negotiations. formal negotiations end today, and there‘s still no agreement. our political correspondent, iain watson is in westminster. what do we read into the fact that there will be this video call tomorrow? that gives at least

nick eardley, bbc news.cal correspondent, helen catt, joins us from westminster. we have, at the moment an argument over what city should be in what tier but what we do know, and these are facts, is coronavirus cases are rising, in some places very fast and hospital admissions are also rising. yes, and this is all to do with these regional strategy of tackling these regional strategy of tackling the virus regionally. the real flashpoints, as you heard in the report, seems to be around regions ready under restrictions, already on the high alert level and the government want them even higher. people have been living under restrictions which have not yet got the virus under control and that top tier does give a much broader range. there is a minimum of things that have to happen like pubs and bars closing. things that should not happen like closing schools, shops and universities but there is a huge range between which could resemble a regional lockdown in those areas and thatis regional lockdown in those areas

let's get more on this with our political correspondent, nick eardley. e of the mps who has written this letter suggesting to her it is a bit hard to get a boot out of restrictions from the government when you haven't really got a road map out of coronavirus. it is interesting then because i think that is one of the areas where the government is under real pressure because we have heard opposition parties say, yes, we understand you can't tell us when but we want to know how these restrictions will be lifted because that will help businesses prepare, it will help people prepare for potentially getting back to daily life, and the fact that a number of conservatives are now explicitly saying to the government, look, you need to give us an exit strategy, i think is going tojust need to give us an exit strategy, i think is going to just add to that pressure that ministers are under. now, this group is saying that they are not trying to make life hard for the government, it is not supposed to bea the government, it is not supposed to be a challenge to borisjoh

here's our political correspondent, nick eardley. margaret ferrier with nicola sturgeon last year. positive for coronavirus, she has been suspended from the snp group at westminster and is under intense pressure to resign completely from parliament. her actions were reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible. i feel very angry on behalf of all of you. i have also spoken to her directly and made crystal clear to her, that i think she should now resign as an mp. i would like to start by paying tribute to all nhs key workers and volunteers... this is ms ferrier in parliament on monday. her decision to attend has caused outrage. on saturday she had shown symptoms and took a coronavirus test. at that point, she should have self—isolated. on monday she felt better and travelled to london. however, after speaking in parliament, she received a positive test result. at that point, by law, she should have self—isolated but travelled back to scotland on tuesday morning by train. it is not if, it is when, now. margaret ferrier must stand down and resign as a member of parliament. she has

nick eardley, bbc news.e ina we will be joined by viewers on bbc one in a few moments for the national bulletin presented by mishal husain. but first. the labour mayor of greater manchester andy burnham says we are looking at a winter of dangerous discontent unless the government changes course to give greater control and support to local areas. in bolton businesses were closed for weeks, hospitality businesses, yet there was no compensation for those businesses, or a furlough scheme that the staff there could support. that is what is going to make peoples patients run out. we are under local restrictions but without the local support that we need, or a local furlough scheme. i think the government does now need to do an urgent rethink of its local lockdown policy. it needs to sit down with us, it needs to negotiate a new approach, so that we can go into the winter with some confidence that we can support our communities through it. we are not against working with the government on the restrictions, deeming

nick eardley, bbc news. the mayor of great manchester and a former labour health secretary. hejoins me now. good afternoon to you, mr burnham. good afternoon. we learn just a little while ago that greater manchester is going to be placed in tier two, and not in tier three. your reaction to that? you must be pleased. yes, we are glad that the government has listened not just to me but the ten leaders of greater manchester. we have no evidence that hospitality was the primary cause of spread our city region. however, it is important to say that any restrictions will choke off trade for our pubs, our restau ra nts, off trade for our pubs, our restaurants, even our shops, off trade for our pubs, our restaurants, even ourshops, because the whole kind of drive to prevent social mixing will mean less people going out, less people spending gci’oss going out, less people spending across the city region, so what we say to the government today, and i'm joined by other mayors in saying this, is that any restrictions mus

let's speak to our political correspondent, nick eardley, in westminster. nd more of these announcements, big restrictions which have a huge impact on people's lives, particularly at the moment in the north of england. we know because we heard yesterday from the prime minister, his experts, the government believes that the moment there are certain areas where there are spikes of the disease, where if these measures are put in place it may help to avoid further measures more nationally across england having to be brought in. the strategy at the moment is to look at those areas where there are big increases in the virus, bringing those controls wherever possible. there are increasingly, they are affecting a much larger number of people, almost one in four people in england now are seeing those increased restrictions being brought in. on that point where government messaging is really important, being able to explain what the rules are and why they are being brought in, there is the tension. we headed in there is the tension. we headed in the peace there, local

publishing some of the positive results from the last week of september. 0ur political correspondent nick eardleyondon newsroom for us this morning. nick, what more do we know? it's all to do with how the figures are collated. this looks bad, it's nearly double the figure from the previous day. there was a delay in recording some of the tests, if that makes sense. they weren't added to the figures of the right time, but it won't affect our people get their own positive results, if that is what they are getting. the government is basically saying it was this technical issue which means the figure was so far yesterday. it does i suppose recent question being asked consistently about how these figures are collated. it's awkward for the government and does raise questions about how those figures are coming together. there is an explanation this isn't suddenly doubled the number of people testing positive in a day. it's basically all about how the figures are collected. what does this new information tell us about the trajectory of the spread of the action at the moment. there was a levelling off afte

let's speak to our political correspondent, nick eardley, in westminster. quite a few announcements in the last couple hours, and it just announcements in the last couple hours, and itjust paints a changing picture on risk. that's right. we are kind of use to every thursday at five p:m., some countries being added to that quarantine list. both poland and turkey are fairly significant because they get a fairly high number of uk travellers, although we are past the main summer season although we are past the main summer season for holidays now. i think more broadly when it comes to the domestic picture, there is a feeling in government. we heard yesterday from the prime minister and his advisers that they can still look for those local areas with a big increase in the virus and target them with some fairly draconian in some regards restrictions. that's where we've seen in the northeast and northwest and places like liverpool today, butjust and northwest and places like liverpool today, but just as and northwest and places like liverpool today, butjust as i me

with me now is our political correspondent nick eardley.ll over so many different parts, facing tougher restrictions, we're also seeing a real political clash between national and local leaders. that's right. the government did want to put greater manchester into that top tier, the most restrictive tier today, and it's not happened because of the political backlash. notjust from andy burnham and some of the labour leaders up in manchester, but also from some conservative mps who think the measures go too far. let's be clear. this is a decision that will be made by downing street. they are desperate to have local buy—in. partly, that's because they don't wa nt to partly, that's because they don't want to be seen to be imposing things on the north of england, partly because we want leaders in different parts of the country to share some of the responsibility. frankly, for the decisions that are taken. at the moment, an agreement with those local politicians in greater manchester seems a long way off. there are discussions going on about addin

our political correspondent in westminster is nick eardley.k about that because literally that news has just been announced. i'm not expecting you to have more detail. let's talk about these increased restrictions and the resistance of the mayor of manchester to them. what sort of problems does not pose for the government? look, ithink problems does not pose for the government? look, i think it's problems does not pose for the government? look, ithink it's quite clear that andy burnham and other local leaders in greater manchester are absently furious about the way this is panned out. you could see it in that press statement he gave earlier. that he thinks that the economic package is far from earlier. that he thinks that the economic package is farfrom enough and it's a hugely detrimental impact on the local economy. we need to point out that ultimately this decision is one from ministers in london. the government can't decide to ignore what local leaders are saying. but it's desperate to avoid that. there are a couple of reasons, one is, the

flanked by the chancellor rishi sunak and professor chris whitty. 0ur political correspondent, nick eardleyor us this morning. people are on tender hooks, they need to know, when are we going to find out? hello, victoria. i think it will be this afternoon before we know exactly what measures are going to be put in place in different parts of england. we do know the broad idea that the government is going to come up with later, which is this three tier system. the medium tier, roughly what we see right now with the rule of six. the high tier, likely to see more clamp—downs on households meeting, particularly in dolls and then the very high tier, which would have a pretty big impact on communities where it's imposed. that will be things like losing some hospitality. liverpool is likely to be the only area that says that right away. we area that says that right away. we are expecting things like pubs to be closed in the liverpool region over the next few days. still a lot of discussion, though, about some of thoseissues discussion, though, about some of those issues you were just talking about

i think we are going to speak to our political correspondent nick eardley now.ening to government ministers being interviewed each day if they think in england, they have got the balance right between the health and the economy. do they think they have? it's not clear, i am not sure either. clearly, ministers are having to look at the numbers and they are seeing over 10,000 new positive cases every day in the last few days. at the same time, you look at the north of england and the north—west in particular you see a number of cases in highly localised areas. they are worried about that and they are potentially having to discuss taking measures similar to the ones we are likely to see in scotla nd the ones we are likely to see in scotland today like potentially further curtailing the hours that pubs can stay open, potentially meaning that people are asked not to travel out of the area where they live. but they are not giving much away at the moment and it doesn't seem away at the moment and it doesn't seem like anything is particularly imminent. we heard this mor

our political correspondent, nick eardley, reports. how much longer will these pubs be open?n about the spread of coronavirus in manchester and today, there will be further talks on whether it should be in the highest tier of restrictions, closing pubs which don't serve meals and banning people mixing with other households in most places. more restrictions could be coming, too, on blackpool pleasure beach. local leaders in lancashire think they're also heading for the highest level of restrictions. but some, like the mayor of greater manchester, andy burnham, are worried. they say there isn't enough evidence for more restrictions and that the economic support on offer doesn't go far enough. the leader of bolton council agrees. if government is mindful not to listen to the local voices and take us into tier three, then we then have another battle, which is to ensure that we have in the north the same conditions as we had in the lockdown at the end of march. and i realise there isn't a bottomless pit of money, but these businesses are on the brink of closure and they are desper

our political correspondent — nick eardley is in westminster for us this morning.ne of these questions that keeps coming up, which is should central government be introducing measures in areas or should more power be given to local leaders to come up with those restrictions? we are expecting the government to come up are expecting the government to come up with this three tier system later today, full details this afternoon. interestingly, negotiations are still going on with the liverpool metro mayor, steve rotherham, about what economic package needs to be put in to support people in the area if those restrictions are being brought in as we expect over the next few days, which would do things like close pubs. the labour leader keir starmer has been on lbc this morning saying he thinks one of the big mistakes the government has made is not listening to local leaders more, have a listen. i think everybody wants to know this. if an area goes into a restriction, how does it get back out again? because leicester has been in local restrictions now for over two months,

let's discuss all this with to our political correspondent nick eardley. trouble is when you say something is world beating and your excel spreadsheets go wrong it sort of embarrassing.” your excel spreadsheets go wrong it sort of embarrassing. i think that's right ben and i don't think there are many ministers out claiming at the moment that the system built for track and trace is the world beating system that they promised back in and made we had the prime minister admitting that it wasn't as good as it could be. what we got from matt hancock was in assurance that the difference between the data last week and the dated now with those figures added and doesn't make a big difference to the restrictions that have been put in place in different parts of england. it would not when it radically alter the way some people have been told they have to live their lives. nevertheless it does two things, it really undermines confidence in the system and the figures that were being given every day that clearly haven't been correct over the last few days. on top of tha

let's speak to our political correspondent nick eardley.outh yorkshire to be moved to tier 3? i think it is pretty likely it will be announced in the next hour or so. there were some last—minute talks going on this morning about specific details. the package has been there for the last day or so, this is likely it will be signed off this morning. it is likely we will get some sort of announcement from the government backjohn sheffield mayor dan jarvis. listen to what the communities secretary robertjenrick was saying about this earlier this morning. we have had quite detailed conversations through the course of yesterday and this morning, and i expect an announcement will be made by the mayor of south yorkshire, dan jarvis, later this morning. later this morning? when might the restrictions come into place? i think you will have to wait for that. it will be made very shortly. it is now on the website for the council that the area is moving on to tier 3. i haven't seen that with my own eyes, but i have been told that and it sounds like a con

our political correspondent nick eardley, joins us now. tem that we will see in local areas, from medium, high and very high. at the moment, the only area that looks like it will be immediately put into that fairly high level is the liverpool city region and that will mean some really big restrictions on things like hospitality with pubs being told to close but there are still a lot of questions about exactly how it is all going to work, exactly what the criteria are going to be to be put into those various different tiers that also the economic support that will be available. i don't know if you can see behind me, the lights on downing street have been on from very early this morning which i think is probably an indication that a lot of the detail is still being worked out. we know, for example, the city region mayor in liverpool, steve rotherham, says he wants to make sure there is a decent support backing available for any businesses that are forced to closed. so he doesn't think that the salary support that is on offer which is if you a

richard galpin, bbc news. 0ur political correspondent, nick eardley is at westminster. at that time when the government's strategy on tackling coronavirus is under increasing scrutiny. it is worth bearing in mind that track and trace is a central part of that strategy and it was only back in may that boris johnson promised that it would become a world beating, the system in england. i think ministers, frankly, understand that the moment that it frankly, understand that the moment thatitis frankly, understand that the moment that it is not. any prime minister yesterday were saying he finds it frustrating the waiters working at the moment and this latest episode will not do much for confidence in any will not do much for confidence in a ny syste m will not do much for confidence in any system —— the prime minister yesterday was saying. there is a practical impact, as you heard in richard's piece there, many of the people who were supposed to have been traced by track and trace were not. the government are saying we are launching and investigating and secondly it has broug

let's talk to nick eardley, who's at westminster for us.this isn't a revolt, but it looks like one? yes, i think that is right. they are trying to say that they don't want to challenge the government. as you head out in that report there, i think there is no be a nervousness about some of the promises being kept. basically, what these mps are saying is that as the economic impact of covid becomes clear, they are worried that some of the big pledges made in the election in december it just won't pledges made in the election in december itjust won't be met, that the money or political will or will not be there. this comes after a pretty bruising period, when we have had mayors in greater manchester, other leaders in the north of england, say that the government is short—changing the north. there is the a nervousness that might be starting to become part of the conversation. adding to the the things that some of those tory mps are slightly worried that some of those promises want to be made. it sets a bit of a challenge for the government for

our political correspondent, nick eardley, is at westminster.eardley, is at westminster. there any feeling westminster is there any feeling that the westminster government will end up following the scottish government when it makes its announcements today? i think they are reluctant to do too much at the moment, victoria. we keep hearing ministers say they are always looking at the data and assessing what is going on, but so far they have been reluctant to talk about specifics. we know the virus is still spreading rapidly in parts of the north of england. there is a lot of pressure to look at what is being done there, some local mayors saying this morning that they don't think the approach is working so far. and in some cases, like the 10pm curfew, they think it is being counter—productive. but at the moment, the government is really relu cta nt, moment, the government is really reluctant, when it comes to england, to come up with specific examples of things it is looking at. we heard this morning from the international trade secretary liz truss