The Barrow Borough Council Labour Group fully stand by our fellow councillors and officers at Cumbria County Council. We also stand by and share the concerns of school staff and their representatives, health officials and many parents of primary school children across the school community in the Borough who are worried about the safety of schools at this point in the pandemic.

The mixed messaging from the government during the latest spike in infections has caused panic and confusion in our community and we, as representatives of our communities, support the calls for schools to be safe for pupils and staff before they reopen. We believe it’s time for the government to listen to front line professionals and the scientific advice and put our community’s health first.

We call on the government and it’s MPs to do what is right for our communities. It is not the time to play politics and follow party lines but to look after the health of our community.