Speaking to ITV News this morning, Andy Burnham has invited Boris up to Manchester to “clear the air” following the week’s rows over the city’s Treasury support for entering Tier 3:

“I would welcome him to come up here now, to clear the air, talk things through; reset things on a proper footing… any time. Greater Manchester has always had a constructive, pragmatic relationship with whatever government of the day and that goes for this one”

How magnanimous. Guido is sure Burnham would be as warm as his tweets this afternoon…

Embarassing gaffe from Andy Burnham today as the Manchester mayor, with a salary which puts him near the top percentile of income earners, called himself “middle income“. Man of the people…

“I would assume that most people, myself included, on more middle income jobs, could live on two thirds of their income.”

His broader point was wrong too – people on minimum wage would not be on two-thirds of their wages. With the Universal Credit top-up, those on low incomes are set to receive some 80% of their normal income.

Andy Burnham continues not to play ball with the government this morning as talks remain stunted over whether Manchester will go into Tier 3; after the mayor yesterday accused the government of treating the region like a “sacrificial lamb”. This morning The Sun says Burnham is refusing to support tougher lockdown measures unless 80% of wages are paid for businesses forced to shut. It’s a dangerous game for Burnham to play, given Boris could force Manchester into Tier 3 this afternoon without his consent and without the money…

On his media round this morning, Dominic Raab said talks will remain ongoing, and the government wants to work with local leaders, though – referencing the phrase used by Kay Burley – said “I don’t think [the government being held to ransom] is right for the people of Manchester”. Who’ll blink first: Burnham or the Treasury?

Guido started his morning nodding along to a sensible-sounding Andy Burnham, ripping into the Government’s arbitrary and imposed-without-debate 10 pm curfew for bars, pubs, clubs, and restaurants. The side effects of the policy appear to be counterproductive, not only forcing crowds out of socially distanced venues and onto the street or packed public transport, but also into shops to buy more alcohol and carry on the sesh elsewhere. As Burnham put it, “doing more harm than good”…

Yet then the Manchester Mayor ruined it all by coming up with an even more crackpot idea – to fix the problems made by the curfew, with another curfew. Burnham suggested things could be fixed by forbidding the sale of alcohol after 9 pm. How quickly perishable does he think a bottle of Bacardi is?