Gtr Manchester mayor accuses the Scottish government of “hypocrisy” and demands compensation for locals.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has accused the Scottish government of “hypocrisy” after it announced a travel ban to parts of the region.

Mr Burnham said the decision was “announced out of the blue” and was “completely disproportionate”.

Despite this the Scottish government said it was made after “careful consideration”.

A spokesman said Scottish rules on travel were “kept under active review” and could “sometimes happen at short notice” after receiving the latest data.

The decision to add Manchester and Salford was announced in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, this prompted Mr Burnham to say he would write to the First Minister Ms Sturgeon and ask the Scottish government to compensate local people who had planned to travel to Scotland and businesses that could lose bookings.

Non-essential travel was banned between Scotland and Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen on 24 May, while travel restrictions with Bedford were lifted on Friday.

Mr Burnham said: “I was really disappointed on Friday that the first minister of Scotland just announced out of the blue – as far as we were concerned – a travel ban saying that people couldn’t travel from Scotland to Manchester and Salford, and people couldn’t go the other way.

“That is exactly what the SNP always accuse the Westminster government of doing – riding roughshod over people.

“The SNP are treating the north of England with the same contempt in bringing that in without any consultation with us.”

He added: “I just think it’s double standards, it’s hypocrisy.

“Why should a couple from Salford – who are double jabbed – who are about to go on a walking holiday in Scotland, not be able to go?

“The Scottish Government can’t just impose things on parts of the north of England with no discussion with us – that is simply wrong and they need to live by the same standards that they always call from others.”