FUNDING for regions that have been under coronavirus restrictions has been “inconsistent,” with some areas getting no money at all, shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said today.

While asking an urgent question in the Commons, Ms Dodds noted that Leicester had received £3 million, Liverpool £7m and north-east England had been allocated “an undefined funding package,” but that there was “nothing for Greater Manchester or the West Midlands.”

She urged the government to publish the criteria used to determine the amount of support given to areas under local lockdown. 

The shadow chancellor also criticised the government for providing funding to the affected regions long after their restrictions had been imposed, a month later in the case of Leicester.

Ms Dodds added: “Now there are leaked suggestions the Treasury will be involved in decision-making around restrictions potentially to prevent such delays.

“So when will this government finally be in a position to deliver support hand in hand with the imposition of restrictions, not trailing them?”

Treasury Minister Steve Barclay failed to answer the question, instead claiming that Britain is seeing the “same trend” as other European countries and dealing with it in “many of the same ways.”

He said: “Indeed, the package of measures [Chancellor Rishi Sunak] brought forward to the chamber just a few days ago with the winter plan illustrates that willingness to listen, to evolve and respond to the virus as the economic needs of the country dictate.”

Mr Sunak’s plan includes schemes to protect what he called “viable jobs” over the next six months after the furlough scheme ends on October 31, plus an extension of help for some self-employed workers.

Musicians, creative workers and artists criticised him yesterday for suggesting that people who would not continue to receive support should “adapt” by retraining and finding other jobs.