Yesterday I opened the General Debate on Covid-19 on behalf of the Labour Party. In this time, I raised the issue of the Government’s failure to act on social care, the pressures on carers, and the urgent need to vaccinate all care home staff and residents. The Prime Minister has […]
liz kendall
Ministers cannot ignore the warning signs as care homes risk being overwhelmed again
The last month has seen a really worrying increase in the pressure on care homes. We cannot protect our NHS if we don’t protect social care – and the Government must spell out what support they’re providing. I’ve written for PoliticsHome about what the social care sector needs to make […]
Liz calls for extra support for social care to manage COVID pressures
In the last month, infection rates in care homes have tripled. Care homes are also reporting staff absences of up to 40%, and the most recent weekly care home deaths are the highest they’ve been since May. I asked the Secretary of State what extra support he is giving to […]
Covid-19 outbreaks in care homes double in a fortnight as care sector is biggest source of infection clusters
There have been more than 20,000 deaths from Covid-19 in care homes. Residents and staff must be the absolute priority for vaccination, and as infection rates rise, we are in a race against time. Every means possible must be used to get the vaccine out. There needs to be a […]
Liz supports striking British Gas workers
British Gas workers in Leicester are currently striking against threats from their parent company, Centrica, to fire staff and rehire them on worse terms. 89% of GMB members voted in favour of strike action, and I am proud to support them. Issuing hard-working people with redundancy notices, then offering […]
Leicester MPs reflect on 2020
I spoke to the Leicester Mercury about the last year representing a seat in Leicester, throughout coronavirus and the extended local lockdown. What we need for 2021 is a strong vision to build this city back for the future. We need a plan to get our city back to its best […]
Liz supports calls for better dementia care
Barbara Windsor’s widower is campaigning for better dementia care as her legacy – I agree that we need urgent social care reform to make sure that people with dementia and their families can access specialist support. Over the next few years more and more families will be impacted by this […]
Liz announces Christmas Card Competition winner
Today I announced the winner of the competition to design my official Christmas card for 2020. We had lots of fantastic entries, but I was pleased to announce Autumn Beckett, aged 9, from Braunstone Frith Primary School is this year’s winner. I thought her design was really uplifting, and […]
Liz supports ‘Caring in Covid’ Advent Calendar
I was invited to read a story for National Care Forum‘s Christmas Advent Calendar – a virtual celebration sharing inspirational stories of those Caring in Covid. Anchor Hanover St Mary’s worked with residents and their families to collect letters, nostalgic photos, uniforms, and rousing posters from World War II, to […]
Liz meets with Care Provider Alliance
Last week I met with the Care Provider Alliance (CPA) to discuss issues facing the social care sector. The CPA represents the adult social care sector including care homes, home care and supported living. The main thing we discussed was the Chancellor’s latest spending review. The Government announced £1bn […]
Liz joins Mobilise’s ‘Virtual Cuppa’
Last week I joined one of Mobilise’s ‘Virtual Cuppas’ with carers from across the country. Their ‘Virtual Cuppas’ have been running every day since March, and give carers a chance to meet each other and share their experiences. Mobilise are using technology to identify and support people caring for family […]
Liz responds to the Spending Review on Peston
Following the Chancellor’s Spending Review, I appeared on Peston to discuss the main announcements. The Government is hitting those on the lowest incomes, with a public sector pay freeze and £20/week cuts to Universal Credit. The Chancellor needs to reprioritise, and focus on building jobs and growth in every part […]