Earlier today, I met with unpaid carers in a meeting organised by Carers UK. I was struck by the incredible resilience of the carers I spoke to and their dedication to the loved ones they care for, but it was clear that they need more support. Covid-19 has meant that carers have […]
liz kendall
All care homes in England are finally vaccinated against Covid – nearly four MONTHS after rollout began
All care homes in England have now been offered the vaccine. However, there are still a number of elderly people who haven’t been reached by vaccine teams. The Government promised that all over-80s would be vaccinated by mid-February, and yet in some places up to one in four elderly people […]
Lack of social care strategy left system weakened when Covid struck
The latest report from the National Audit Office shows how the Government’s years of failure to get a grip on the social care crisis has left thousands without the help they need. This highlights what we have known for a long while – that long-term reform for social care is needed […]
Liz reflects on a year of the pandemic
I appeared on Sky News yesterday to reflect on one year since the first national lockdown was called. As we emerge from this pandemic, we need to look at how we can build a stronger and fairer economy. This means tackling important issues like poverty, inequality, and poor housing – […]
Liz calls for social care reform on BBC Radio 4 Today
I spoke to BBC Radio 4 Today about the urgent need for social care reform a year on from the start of the first lockdown. More than 31,000 care home residents have died from Covid-19 so far. This is a much higher proportion than in many other countries. As we […]
As Covid turns the crisis of social care into a calamity, the government does nothing
The Prime Minister promised on the steps of Downing Street in July 2019 that he would bring forward a plant to fix social care. Since then, the issue has been delayed again and again. Last week, the Chancellor said they were looking to work ‘cross-party’ on social care – but […]
Liz calls for a better approach to economic recovery
I appeared on Politics Live this week to discuss the latest announcements on NHS pay. Since the Tories came to power, nurses starting salaries have fallen in real terms by £840 a year. By giving NHS staff a 1% pay rise, the Government is in fact giving them a real-terms […]
Liz makes the economic case for social care reform in Budget debates
Today I spoke in the final day of Budget debates in Parliament. I argued that reforming social care is a matter of social justice and an economic necessity, and that the governments failure to grasp this fact is undermining growth, productivity and the need to get value for taxpayers’ money […]
Liz speaks at East Midlands International Women’s Day event
It was a pleasure to speak at East Midlands Labour Party’s International Women’s Day event yesterday evening. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, women have been more likely to be made redundant, see their pay packets cut, and bear the burden of unpaid work in the home. We’ve seen these gender inequalities […]
Liz speaks about lack of support for social care in the Budget
Rishi Sunak’s budget on Wednesday had absolutely no mention of social care. This pandemic has exposed the impact of 10 years of social care funding cuts, and our carer workers and families deserve better. The Chancellor then told the BBC that the reason that social care plans hadn’t been brought […]
Liz calls for strategy to vaccinate all care home staff
This week, we discovered that only 69% of care home staff in England have been vaccinated against coronavirus. In London, this is as low as 52%. This is incredibly worrying. We need a clear strategy from the Government, that addresses lies and misinformation about the vaccine. We also need […]
Covid-19: Care home residents in England to be allowed one regular visitor
The Government have announced that from March 8, care home residents in England will be allowed one regular visitor. This is something Labour has been campaigning on since last June. However, we need confidence that things will really change. We need legislation, to make visits to care homes a legal […]