Several newspapers, including the Mirror and the Telegraph, have criticised the Government’s COVID-19 restrictions in the north as being unfair, when infection rates in some areas of the south are not far behind

The articles allege that the Government finds it ‘politically easier’ to lock down parts of the north than it does the south.

While some rural areas in eastern England have less than 20 cases per 100,000 people, major metropolitan areas such as Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham have recently recorded levels above 500 per 100,000, nearly as bad as Madrid or Brussels.

However national restrictions such as the 10pm curfew continue to affect businesses throughout the country regardless of their infection rates.

The Mirror reports that Boris Johnson and many of his ministers now have higher infection rates in their own constituencies than northern areas did when the Prime Minister locked them down in July, yet they have escaped similar controls.

Full articles:

Mirror - Voice of the Sunday Mirror: Even 'red wall' MPs don't trust Johnson to 'level up' UK

Telegraph - The PM committed to 'levelling up'. Instead his government is targeting the North for oblivion

BBC - Can Boris Johnson's levelling-up mission survive Covid?