The Mayor of Greater Manchester is calling on the region's MPs to demand better support for businesses in tier 3 areas.

The House of Commons is set to debate these issues on Tuesday with Andy Burnham warning that businesses will be severely damaged by the loss of Christmas trade if the government doesn't provide extra support.

Lack of financial support was the main reason why Mr Burnham resisted agreeing Greater Manchester into tier 3 restrictions before the national lockdown.

Mr Burnham, said: “The Government is continuing a policy of imposing harsh regional lockdowns without providing sufficient support to offset the damage to jobs and businesses.

“This is a deliberate act of levelling down from a Government which only a year ago was elected on a promise to do precisely the opposite.

“It simply cannot be right or fair that Tier 1 Cornwall and the Isle of Wight are receiving the same level of business support as cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Hull. MPs representing Tier 3 areas on all sides of the House need to come together and demand a much fairer support package from the Government.

“For businesses that support hospitality, December is traditionally the most important month of the year. To take that away without compensation will be devastating for them and many will not survive into the New Year.”