The Bishop of Manchester has warned of a "strong perception" in the north-west of the country that local leaders have been treated "with a great lack of respect".
The Rt Rev David Walker told peers in the House of Lords that there had been a "breakdown in trust" following the dispute over Tier 3 restrictions for Greater Manchester.
"To the best of my knowledge, at no time did senior members of Her Majesty's Government come to Manchester to meet its people, hear its voices and seek to reach an agreement face to face with our civic leaders," he said.
He then cited a Manchester Evening News story claiming that at one online meeting over the dispute, the Government prevented local leaders from speaking by removing their unmute function.
"Whatever the practicalities of managing virtual meetings—indeed, irrespective of whether the newspaper reports are wholly accurate—there is now a strong perception in the north-west that local leaders have been treated throughout this process with a great lack of respect," the bishop warned.
He suggested the breakdown in relations between Manchester and Westminster could only be repaired by meeting in person.
"The affairs of Manchester and those of other regions cannot be settled from behind a computer screen in Westminster, one hand controlling the purse strings and the other the menu for mute, no more than can the proceedings of this House," he said.
He invited senior ministers to commit to coming to Manchester in the next couple of weeks "to seek to repair the present breakdown in trust".
"We may bark loudly, at least when we are unmuted, but we rarely bite," he said.
Responding to his concerns, Conservative peer Lord Bethell said the bishop's appeal was "very touching" but that it would "strike the wrong note" for ministers to travel to Manchester to hold meetings in person during the pandemic.
"I reassure him that both the representatives and the people of Manchester are massively valued," Lord Bethell said.
"I do not want to cite all the details, but many people in this Government, including me, have spent a vast amount of time in Manchester, value the city, love the people and are greatly distressed at the thought that anyone thinks otherwise.
"The practicalities of this epidemic have been very regrettable on travel. As a Minister, I regret massively the fact that I have not been able to travel up and down the country.
"It is not possible to visit cities for face-to-face negotiations in the middle of an epidemic. That would strike the wrong note.
"It is a contagious threat and that is not possible, but I reassure the right reverend Prelate that everything is being done to value the opinions of the representatives of Manchester, and it will continue to be so."
