Good news for passengers in Wigan, Bolton, Bury, Salford and Manchester.

When we retake control of buses in the west of GM next month, there will be a range of improvements to services.

#BeeNetwork

1/6 We will reinstate the V2 service between Atherton and MRI and improve frequency and capacity on the V1.

#BeeNetwork

2/6

Confirmed: the boroughs of Wigan and Bolton, and parts of Bury and Salford, will next year become the first areas in England to see bus services return to public control.

This will take place nine months from now on 24 September 2023.

1/9 The main operator for Wigan and Bolton will be @gnwbus.

Go will become a full member of our Good Employment Charter within a year and a 100% Real Living Wage employer.

The smaller franchises will be operated by @DiamondBusNW.

2/9

gmgoodemploymentcharter.co.uk

I see my tweet about return fares from Manchester caused a bit of a debate yesterday. 😳

So here’s a little response to some of the points made.

🧵 1/5

https://twitter.com/AndyBurnhamGM/status/1517396166035525633

First - to all those who helpfully pointed out the wide range of advance fares:

Thanks, but what if there’s no ability to book in advance?

What if you have to drop everything first thing on Monday morning and head to Piccadilly?

2/5

Given the number of names on this petition has gone over 10k, I thought I owed everyone who has signed it the courtesy of a reply.

So here is an explanation of how we got to this point and a suggestion of where we go from here. 🧵

1/9

https://twitter.com/Greg1gg/status/1477557809906597888

Calling this “Andy Burnham’s Clean Air Charge” implies two things: (1) that I instigated it; (2) that I have the legal power to stop it.

Neither is true.

The Government initiated the process which led to this and only they have the power to stop it or delay it.

2/10

Five years ago today, the then Home Secretary Amber Rudd stood up in the Commons and ruled out an inquiry into Orgreave on the grounds that “nobody died”.

You can watch the exchanges here.👇🏻

We now have proof that she misled Parliament on that day.

1/7

theguardian.com/politics/video… Amber Rudd denied any political considerations had influenced her decision.

“I have made it honestly, based on the evidence,” she told the House.

But close friends were being told the real reason - that it might “slur the memory of Thatcher and the party won’t like it.”👇🏻

2/7

This deserves a serious response so I have decided to set out my side of things in the thread which follows ...

https://twitter.com/barristersecret/status/1397536332101177350

First, to be clear, I did have the basis of the ruling clearly explained to me before I sent my tweet. So it was not quite as you suggested.

Here’s a thread to explain a little more 👇

A decade ago, in June 2009, I was appointed Health Secretary by Gordon Brown. Days later WHO declared a global pandemic. Swine flu was never as serious as the current situation. But, from where I was standing, it felt pretty scary ... One of the reasons it felt like this was because two of the risk groups for H1N1 Swine Flu were children with disabilities & pregnant women. So concern was very high amongst certain groups. As things developed over that summer, communications quickly became my biggest problem ...