This Carers Week, I took part in a deeply moving debate in the House of Commons.

Our care system is stretched to the absolute limit – so much so that 2.5 million unpaid carers have had to give up work or reduce their hours because they cannot get the support they need. In modern Britain, social care should thought about as being as much a part of our economic infrastructure as the roads and the railways, and must therefore be at the very heart of our economic policy and strategy for growth.

I was asked to respond on behalf of the Labour Party, making this case and arguing for better support for unpaid carers. Watch a clip of my speech above, and read the full speech here.