The MP said “As this phase of the COVID crisis grows, our region needs additional resources to deal with issues like testing, extended tracing, education and compliance and we need them urgently.

It is hard to understand why the Conservative Group voted against supporting this request at a recent meeting of North Tyneside Council, meaning, if they had their way, less for test and trace, less for education and less for compliance.

We cannot let politics get in the way of keeping people safe.”