Northfield MP Gary Sambrook (Conservative) is calling for new social restrictions announced for Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull to be lifted as soon as possible in Northfield, claiming local residents have largely followed the rules and should not be adversely affected by rising COVID-19 cases in other areas of the city.
As cases and hospital admissions rise, new rules – which come into effect on Tuesday 15th September – ban people from visiting each other in their homes or gardens, unless they are in a support bubble. The rules – announced on top of changes limiting social groups outside the home to six people – affect Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull and have been agreed by Minister for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock and local authorities.
In a statement on social media, Mr Sambrook said: “Over the last few weeks there has been an increase in infections, especially within central and eastern Birmingham […]
“People across Birmingham Northfield constituency have behaved and adapted remarkably well to social distancing and followed government guidance. Birmingham Northfield has consistently seen some of lowest new infections. Unfortunately that has not been the case elsewhere.”
Mr Sambrook goes on to ask residents follow the new rules on visiting other households – as well as sticking to basics such as hand washing, masks and social distancing – but said: “[…] I am doing everything I can to make the case that they are lifted as quickly as possible in Birmingham Northfield constituency. Local residents have done all they can to keep their family and friends safe, and it would not be fair for them to be adversely affected because other parts of Birmingham have not been following the rules.”
Statement in full:
How about removing the block on high st parking, it’s affecting business. Terrible idea in the first place to impose restrictions on parking after shops have been hit by covid.
Here, here, the govt. is just tarring everyone with the same brush, just because it doesn’t want to single out a certain group that ARE responsible for the rise, a certain group that do not follow the rules and think they can do as they please regardless, because they consider themselves ‘untouchable’ as far as the law is concerned.
The moderators here are obviously trained by the Chinese authorities and refuse to allow any comments that do no fit their agenda, pathetic really, silenced from stating the obvious. Time to delete the link to this bias website.
Trained by the Chinese authorities?! 😂😂
No – just local volunteers who don’t always have time to approve comments here right away.
Registered members’ comments go straight on but others have to wait for approval. :)
Your comment has been approved because you’re not clear on which ‘group’ you are referring to but we do have comment guidelines http://b31.org.uk/comment-guidelines/
I live in this MPs area. Just to let you know Gary what you said is not true.
Northfield is not social distancing just ask the shop keepers and the honest people who live in the area. Daily people complain and the wearing of masks is no good as it seems half of Northfield Selly Oak and Weoley Castle are exempt and you even hear people saying in shops that you don’t have to wear it. Restrictions need to be tighter not lifted
Funny how our MP, is quick to criticise people from other area’s,who he has never met, knows nothing about or the circumstances of how they caught it.
Just a shame he wasn’t so vociferous in his opinions when he defended Dominic Cummings and family breaking quarantine several times,and claimed that Cummings did nothing wrong,and that he(MP Gary Sambrook) would do the same and advised his constituents to do the same also.
No acknowledgement or responsibility taken for his and his governments mixed messaging,or that their’s and Cummings undermining of those messages and lax approach to quarantine, has meant huge swaths of the country,have gotten complacent,don’t trust or believe his government, or just don’t care.
As Yvonne Griffiths said,What our MP has claimed isn’t true, Northfield is just as bad as other area’s,and it’s only good fortune that the virus hasn’t hit the area more,yet.
Does he think people from Northfield haven’t been travelling to these area’ or had contact with residents from those area’s at work,schools,pubs and restaurants,they’ve been encouraging people back into? or does he think Northfield is an island?
Seven months on from the start of this pandemic,where’s his governments promised “world beating” test and trace system?
wheres’ the increased capacity for testing?
It’s nowhere to be seen,despite millions of taxpayers money being given hand over fist to private companies,for what?
Fully support these comments by D and Yvonne. Also appalled by Sambrook’s reported comments as to why he yesterday opposed continuing support for free school meals, reflecting ‘Victorian values’ – perhaps we should reopen Workhouses for poor relief? . . .
I thought the MP’s words were tempting the inevitable. The figures for Northfield area are very high and have risen across the constituency. He is deluded if he think there is something inherent in Northfield people that makes them immune or superior to the disease. We all know what he meant by his comments and they are shameful, unhelpful and plainly ridiculous.