Today I was speaking in a debate on coronavirus regulations. I used the debate to call on the Government to turbo charge our vaccination programme and to improve support for people who have to self isolate. Our NHS has done a fantastic job on the vaccination programme so far. But […]
The appalling murder of Sir David Amess while he was holding a constituency surgery in Southend has shocked me and my team to the core. Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family, friends, and all those who knew and loved him. I joined the Prime Minister, Leader of the […]
New research shows that care homes rated ‘inadequate’ have more state-funded residents than care homes rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC. These figures reveal an unacceptable two-tier care system, with better off people getting a better quality of social care. No matter where people live or how they pay, everyone should […]
Trade unions expect there to be over 170,000 vacancies in social care by the end of the year. We are already facing a winter crisis in social care – this will make it worse. Instead of hanging care providers out to dry, the Government must put in place a real, […]
As part of Labour’s Annual Conference, I sat on the Future Social Care Coalition’s panel ‘Why is workforce reform critical to getting social care done?’. I believe that workforce reform is crucial to fixing social care. This is why Labour are backing a new deal for care workers, which gives […]
It was a pleasure to speak at Progressive Britain’s conference fringe, ‘Rebuilding Labour and the Nation’. Progressive Britain commissioned a report on how voters view Labour, and how Labour can rebuild trust with the country, and I was invited to reflect and contribute my thoughts on this. If there’s one […]
At Labour Party Annual Conference, I spoke at the Health Foundation’s fringe meeting ‘Where next for social care?’. It was great to see such a large turnout to hear about where the Government need to go next on social care reform, and how a Labour government would approach social care. […]
Transforming social care is the challenge of our generation. This was true even before Covid struck, but the pandemic has exposed, more than ever, the urgent need for reform. A future Labour government will modernise the welfare state from cradle to grave, investing in social care as part of our […]
Since Parliament came back after the summer, the biggest issue has been the Government’s ‘NHS and social care levy’ (a 1.25% increase in National Insurance Contributions) which they claim will fix the crisis in social care. The two key tests for the Tories about this proposal are: will it work, […]
Today I spoke at an event organised by the National Care Association. Care providers told me that they are desperately struggling to find staff and are deeply worried about what this will mean for people who need care. Urgent action is needed to tackle the workforce crisis in social care. […]
Even before the pandemic there were over 100,000 vacancies in social care, and Covid-19 has made the situation even worse. Unless ministers grip this problem, thousands of elderly and disabled people will be forced to go without the basic help they need to do things like get up, washed, dressed […]
Ministers have failed to meet their promise that those vaccinated abroad but registered with a GP in England and Wales would be able to get a Covid pass. This is yet another case of ministers over-promising and then failing to deliver, leaving many people still unable to obtain a Covid […]
