The midday deadline for a deal on tougher coronavirus restrictions in Greater Manchester has passed without news of a breakthrough.
Local leaders are pushing for the government to grant £75m in total, after ministers offered £22.4m for the implementation of extra measures plus an unspecified sum of "business support".
Neither side has yet said if an agreement has been struck.
Live updates on Greater Manchester stalemate after deadline passes without a deal
They had been racing to secure a compromise by 12pm on Tuesday – the deadline set last night by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick.
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Boris Johnson, who is due to hold a Downing Street news conference at 5pm today, made clear he would impose the move to Tier 3 if stalemate remains.
That would take around three million people into the highest band of COVID-19 restrictions, as the UK battles a second spike of coronavirus cases and deaths.
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The prime minister told senior cabinet members on Tuesday that he has "sought to work constructively with leaders across Greater Manchester" but "cases continue to be extremely high across the region".
"The most worrying rises are in the 60+ age group where the case rate tripled in the 15 days up to 12 October," he added.
Downing Street later confirmed Mr Johnson and Andy Burnham spoke on the phone around Tuesday lunchtime.
Andrew Gwynne, Labour MP for Denton and Reddish, challenged the chancellor in parliament, saying said local leaders are only asking for "proper financial support… after 12 weeks of failed lockdown measures" and asked: "Why does this government hate Greater Manchester?"
Rishi Sunak said he was "disappointed" with Mr Gwynne'sRead More – Source
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