Wealthy areas less likely to have lockdown imposed despite the sane or more cases per 100000

[Treesofwood]

MH has weekly "Gold" meetings to decide who gets lockdown. (Did he mean to call them God meetings?)
Wealthy and tory strongholds are less likely to be locked down despite similar or higher numbers than areas under restrictions.
Why is this is? Surely the government are not politicising the "Coronavirus Crisis."

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-lockdown-wealthy-areas-avoid-government-labour-tory-b781344.html
Link. But there's lots more out there.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3920993-Are-the-housing-estate-red-zones-from-Years-and-Years-going-to-become-a-reality

I thought the poorer you were, the greater your chances of a poor outcome from covid 19. If you view lockdowns as protective, not punitive, why wouldn’t you worry sooner about cases increasing in poorer areas than wealthier ones, if the poorer areas will get higher death and complication rates?

I heard this earlier on LBC - both Bojo's and Rishi's constiuencies have higher rates than some of the northern locked now areas but remain open as it were. The figure of 60 people per 100,000 was given to indicate when measures would be taken to bring in restrictions but one area - struggling to recall which had 56 but measure were still brought in - might have been Wolverhampton. The system is not transparent which raises suspicions on the criteria being used and surely this will mean more of a north/south economic divide.

I thought most councils ask for further restrictions, rather than it being a simple top-down affair?

Walkaround. It's not very protective to prevent people from opening their business. Or from going to work at their zero hour contract job.
Another p springs to mind.

Fourteafallout I have heard of mayors challenging the government's plans for them.

Not all do, Middlesborough didn't - quite the opposite but it was imposed on them, despite what the government said, the Mayor said there was no consultation and they had literally minutes advance notice. It is Matt Hancock who makes the final decision.

Isn't it also the speed of the increase that triggers it?

@Treesofwood - it’s not my argument, but it is a way of looking at it. Also seems to be a way Labour run councils are more likely to view it than Tory run councils, in all honesty.

That's not quite true. Andy Preston had asked for a lockdown in which people would not mix in each other's homes but he didn't want further restrictions on mixing in pubs and restaurants. And then he threw a sprocket when the standard heightened restrictions were imposed. I don't know why he thought that the government would generate another permutation of lockdown rules just for Middlesbrough.

So is this likely to be coming from the councils then do we think? Why would they want to do that?

I don't know. I think that it's negotiated. I'm in Stockton with 92/100k and we seem resolutely opposed to more restrictions and when Middlesbrough and Hartlepool moved to more restrictions yesterday it was reported in some of the local press as if they had broke ranks with the rest of Teesside. But honestly, your guess is as good as mine.

I read this and felt pretty because it feels like risking lives

@Treesofwood - no idea where it is coming from, but it seems a huge stretch to view it as central government picking on Labour councils for no good reason.

I know the wealthy carry on with their events, where the poor wouldn’t be able to. They still travel, organise large events, behind closed doors. I went to Blenheim Salon Prive, no one seemed worried about SD, over 2000 people attended last weekend, no problem at all, ladies day was £500 a ticket.

Toy councils less likely to want lockdown, more worried about liberty/the local economy? Therefore won't request it.

@Treesofwood
Because part of the labour ideology is that people are idiots and have to be told what to do at the threat of punishment whereas most tories believe that the vast majority of people are intelligent enough to not act like idiots. It is no surprise that a party that overwhelmingly supports state intervention in numerous areas that other parties do not would be the party that is overwhelmingly the one to call for tighter restrictions.

@Augustbreeze

Toy councils less likely to want lockdown, more worried about liberty/the local economy? Therefore won't request it.

I just feel like the government don't care enough if people get very ill or die

A lot of the local councils near me - liverpool - have been actively begging for lockdown for couple weeks

The gov held off

It’s been on their local council twitter sites for ages -they’ve begged for it

Few businesses here are working from home so cases are higher

I don’t know anyone who works from home

Walsall is around 70 per 100,000. Its neighbours Birmingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton all had restrictions for around 50 plus.
Yet Walsall has had no restrictions.
It's another poor area, so amazed its escaped again.

It’s not just about numbers

It’s about capacity to test and treat those affected do hospital beds etc

Liverpool was 150+ before lockdown

We’re in Trafford in Greater Manchester and we have been under restrictions since end of July. It’s probably the most affluent area of greater Manchester (particularly in the south where it is full of footballers, very wealthy business owners etc). We almost got released in August due to Graham Brady (our MP) campaigning, but this was was the opposite of what the council and the Mayor wanted, and we were back under the restrictions within about 12 hours I think.

Our area borders a northern lockdown area and the town and satellite villages are at over 100 per 100,000. No lockdown because we are classed as bring part of another bounty not the lockdown one half a mile away that we share services, healthcare and a hospital with. It’s ridiculous.

@Walkaround

I thought the poorer you were, the greater your chances of a poor outcome from covid 19. If you view lockdowns as protective, not punitive, why wouldn’t you worry sooner about cases increasing in poorer areas than wealthier ones, if the poorer areas will get higher death and complication rates?

Yes this.

The push against protective measures is coming from the right (quite often the far right).