Coronavirus: Why are politicians arguing about Greater Manchester?

Senior politicians in London and in Greater Manchester are arguing about which lockdown rules the Manchester area should be under.

The prime minister Boris Johnson says he wants Greater Manchester to move from the Tier 2 - high level into the Tier 3 - very high level section of England's plan to slow the spread of coronavirus.

However, the mayor of Greater Manchester - Andy Burnham - is resisting that change, saying that more support for jobs and businesses needs to be agreed before he agrees to tougher restrictions in the region.

In the end the government has the final say but experts argue that the best way to get people to agree to stick to tougher rules is to have agreement on all sides about the best way forward.

As yet, no agreement on the best way forward has been found but the government have set a a deadline of midday on 20 October to find a solution.

Liverpool was the first city in the UK to enter tier three

What is the argument about?

Greater Manchester is currently under Tier 2, which means people from different homes can only mix outside, as long as the rule of six and social distancing are followed. Households mixing indoors is not allowed.

Coronavirus cases in Greater Manchester have increased and Mr Johnson wants the city to be placed under Tier 3 restrictions to help limit the spread of the virus.

Under Tier 3, which is the highest of the levels, places like pubs and leisure centres would have to close and people wouldn't be allowed to travel between areas.

Households wouldn't be allowed to mix indoors or outdoors, although shops and schools would stay open.

Liverpool was the first city region to be put under Tier 3 restrictions and Lancashire have recently joined them. Around 1.5 million people, including those living in Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, Lancaster and Preston, will be affected by the new rules.

The Greater Manchester mayor hasn't been able to reach a deal with Boris Johnson about restrictions in the region

What are the two sides saying?

Andy Burnham is in discussions with Boris Johnson in an attempt to reach a deal on what the new rules in Greater Manchester would be.

However, the region's mayor hasn't come to an agreement with the prime minister about what the next steps should be. He wants more financial support for workers in the area who've been affected by the coronavirus.

The prime minister has said the government may "need to intervene" if new measures are not agreed to.

He warned: "Of course, if agreement cannot be reached I will need to intervene in order to protect Manchester's hospitals and save the lives of Manchester's residents. But our efforts would be so much more effective if we work together."

Mr Burnham said he and Greater Manchester's deputy mayors and council leaders, have done "everything within our power to protect the health of our residents" but are not convinced that closing pubs and bars is the only way to protect hospitals.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "The government could have a deal if it better protects low-paid people. It is choosing not to do that."