Stay Alert or Stay at Home? Andy Burnham interview plus furlough update
Calling Peston: The ITV News Politics Podcast
ITV News
4.2 • 177 Ratings
🗓️ 12 May 2020
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A lot has changed in the UK this week, but not necessarily in every region of it. Boris Johnson has adjusted England's coronavirus lockdown message to Stay Alert, while Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are sticking with Stay at Home.
What does this all mean for member of the public? What extra freedoms do those in England have over people living in other regions of the UK?
We speak to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who tells us about the lack of communication from Westminster and that he'd be doing the same as Nicola Sturgeon in keeping lockdown near-enough unaltered.
And Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the coronavirus job retention scheme to pay 80% of people's wages for a further four months.
Robert Peston explains the finer details of the extension, plus how it will impact businesses and individuals.
Remember to subscribe and rate us five stars!
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome, I hope you're staying safe and well and if you live in England, I hope you're staying alert. |
| 0:09.0 | If in the words of Kanye West you've been keeping your love locked down for the past seven weeks, then from Wednesday comes a glimmer of hope. |
| 0:15.0 | If you haven't seen your mom or dad, brother or sister, boyfriend, girlfriend or best friend, and you live in England, |
| 0:21.4 | you will be able to meet again. It may only be one at a time, it may only be in a park or other |
| 0:26.6 | suitably public place, and it will have to be two metres or for our imperial friends six feet |
| 0:31.7 | apart, but it is something. The question is, is it safe? Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland |
| 0:36.7 | don't think it is yet where |
| 0:38.2 | full lockdown lingers on. Yes, as we reported on last week's podcast, Boris Johnson, announced on |
| 0:43.4 | Sunday night a relaxation of some lockdown restrictions in England, with a roadmap for what may |
| 0:48.9 | lie ahead. But having listened to the PM on TV on Sunday, you'd be forgiven for thinking |
| 0:53.1 | the map was upside down and covered in coffee stains. |
| 0:56.7 | It wasn't particularly clear what he was trying to say until 24 hours later when the government published its 50-page guidance on what we can and cannot do from now on. |
| 1:06.2 | We'll get through as much as we can on today's podcast with me, Daniel Hewitt, my colleague, Shihab Khan. |
| 1:10.8 | Hello. |
| 1:11.6 | And of course, our political editor, Robert Peston, who we will be calling shortly. |
| 1:16.0 | Also on the show, we'll be speaking to the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, |
| 1:19.9 | on the divisions within England itself on the government's change of message this week. |
| 1:25.4 | But first, welcome back, Mr. Shehab Khan. |
| 1:29.2 | Thank you. Thank you. It's good to be back. It was a good episode last week, I thought. |
| 1:33.4 | But let's not get Peter Smith on again before the bosses realized that he's a better co-host than I am. |
| 1:38.5 | Did you listen to it and think, I've been rumbled? |
| 1:41.7 | I really did. And I was thinking, if this goes on for much longer I'm going to be |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in -1785 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from ITV News, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of ITV News and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.