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I’m so proud of all the amazing volunteers in Leicester who have pulled together during the pandemic to help our friends, families and neighbours.

Now we have to do it all over again.

But we will succeed because we are a city of solidarity #WeAreLeicester

Bringing infection rates down in Leicester and protecting public health must be our first priority.

I support the lockdown, but I am concerned that the Government was too slow in giving the Council even the most basic postcode data, which is essential to tackling the problem.

I hope the Government will now work very closely with us to ensure our city gets all the resources needed, and to put actions in place to really get on top of this.

Getting on top of the COVID-19 spike in Leicester and protecting public health must be our first priority. I am extremely concerned about children missing school, local businesses, and jobs, but if we don’t bring infection rates down it will be worse for us all in the long run.

We can and we will beat this virus by working together. That is why I urge the Government to ensure Leicester gets all the resources needed, including more testing kits & facilities, promoting health messages in all languages, and more inspections and support in workplaces, if that is required.

Lessons must also be learnt from the handling of Leicester’s spike. The Government was too slow in giving the Council even the most basic postcode data, which is essential to tackling the problem, and over the last few days there have been off the record briefings leaving people anxious & confused.

These issues must be addressed. Because this won’t be the last local outbreak, and we need a faster and clearer strategy to grip problems and ensure we keep everyone healthy and safe.

I recently joined a video call with Co-operative Party members and councillors to talk about the work I’ve been doing on social care, the challenges Covid-19 has presented for local government​ and why the co-operative difference matters​ for care.

Care recipients, their families, and care workers know best how to create a care system that will deliver consistently high-quality care. As we emerge from this crisis, we need to look at how we reform our social care system into one that uses the principles of co-operation to build upon the first-hand knowledge of those who rely on, receive and provide care.

You can find out more about the work the Co-operative Party is doing on social care here.

I recently took part in a webinar on health and social care hosted by the Local Government Association. It was a great opportunity to hear from councillors across the country about how they have dealt with Covid-19 in local government, and what they believe is needed as we emerge from the pandemic.

Coronavirus has had a dramatic impact on our health and social care system, placing social care, the NHS and public health all under pressures not previously seen before. Whilst central government has made disastrous decisions such as deciding to discharge patients from hospitals to care homes without Covid-19 tests and not being ready with enough PPE for the NHS and the rest of the public sector who needs it, local government has stepped up to the challenge, looking after vulnerable residents who are shielding and getting supplies of PPE from local schools and businesses.

As we move into the recovery phase from Covid-19, local government will continue to play a leading role in ensuring that public health and social care are delivering in their local communities. You can find out more about the LGA and the work they do with councils here.​