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The Liberal Democrats are urging Ishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to participate in cross-party discussions in order to finally reach a resolution on the issue of social care. They are calling on them to take action and address this lingering problem that has remained unresolved for years.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey announced that his party plans to make a commitment in their upcoming manifesto to participate in cross-party discussions regarding social care after the election. He urged both the Conservatives and Labour to follow suit in order to come to an agreement on a financial plan that supports the NHS and addresses the financial burden faced by many individuals.
“We have a plethora of ideas that we plan to present,” Davey informed the Observer. “However, we will only be able to successfully resolve this issue if we can reach a consensus across parties. It has been put off for an excessive amount of time, and it is imperative that we handle it correctly this time. We cannot delay any longer.”
Please join us at the table and include in your manifestos the commitment to participate in cross-party discussions following the election to reach a cross-party consensus on social care. Together, we can develop a long-term plan that will have a significant impact on the NHS. We will also need to come to a mutual agreement on the financial aspect. I believe this is the only feasible approach. I am hopeful that Sunak and Starmer will respond favorably. Let us tackle this difficult issue head on and find a solution.
In recent years, various promises have been made to address the significant financial burden of social care on families. Both Boris Johnson and Theresa May pledged solutions, but they were never put into action. Additionally, previous private discussions between different political parties before the 2010 election were unsuccessful.
Sir Andrew Dilnot, the chair of a government-backed commission, urged the main political parties to mature in the face of his proposal for a limit on social care expenses over ten years ago. He stated that both Labour and the Conservatives have failed to properly address the state of the care system as they approach the upcoming election.
Davey expressed his disappointment with the notion that the Labour party intended to delay addressing the issue until after the election. He shared that he plans to bring several proposals to the table, including implementing a specialized minimum wage for care workers and providing additional support for family caregivers. He emphasized that family caregivers actually save the government significant sums of money and by offering them more assistance, such as respite care, they would be able to sustain their efforts for a longer period of time.
Davey stated prior to the upcoming Lib Dem spring conference that there is a potential for a transformative election, one that could result in a complete decline of the Conservative party.
According to him, there is increasing optimism in his party that they may be able to oust both chancellor Jeremy Hunt and levelling up secretary Michael Gove. These two members of the cabinet represent seats in Surrey, which is considered part of the traditionally secure Conservative heartlands, also known as the “blue wall.” The Liberal Democrats, led by Davey, have been targeting these areas.
The Liberal Democrats have maintained a consistent position at approximately 10% in the polls for a while, with some individuals criticizing the party for falling behind Reform UK, the new version of the Brexit party. Nevertheless, Davey expressed that Reform only posed a threat to the Conservatives and pointed to byelection wins as evidence that his focused strategy was effective. He also stated his sense of duty to ensure the defeat of numerous Conservative MPs.
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“The leader stated that he has observed that when leaders solely prioritize the overall vote percentage without considering the number of seats, their performance suffers in elections. However, he will not make the same mistake and instead, will have a strategy that targets winning seats while disregarding criticism. He believes this approach will lead to success and play a significant role in defeating the Conservatives.”
The leader denied that the criticism he faced in regards to the Horizon scandal had negatively affected his leadership. He faced backlash for initially declining to meet with Alan Bates, a previous postmaster and advocate fighting for fairness, while serving as Post Office minister under the coalition government.
During an election year, the leader of the Liberal Democrats was targeted by the Conservative press, leading to backlash and controversy. This is a grave injustice and we must work towards obtaining justice for the postmasters who have been wronged. It is crucial that they receive exoneration and compensation. The inquiry must take heed and make significant changes to prevent something like this from happening again.
Source: theguardian.com
