Responding to a pledge made by Andy Burnham that there will be access to free social care services for everyone in England, and that the plans will be put before voters at the next general election, Green Party leader in parliament, Dr Ellie Chowns MP, said:
“For too long successive governments have kicked social care down the road and treated it as a political football – so it is certainly welcome to hear the Prime Minister both recognising the scale of the challenge and signalling a willingness to work across party lines to tackle it.
“The Green Party is clear that social care should be available to everyone who needs it and free at the point of use, just like the NHS is for healthcare – it makes no sense that help is available for those facing cancer, but not for those struggling with dementia, disability, or old age.
“Despite the Prime Minister’s stated commitment to working cross-party on this issue, so far no invitation has been extended to the Greens to take part in discussions. We would therefore like to reiterate to the Prime Minister that the Green Party stands ready to work constructively with the government and other parties to build a social care system that commands broad support and truly works for families across Britain.
“And for those struggling with the cost of care now, promises of transformative action following the next general election are simply not good enough. After years of delay, we simply cannot kick this crucial work down the road again. Work needs to begin now to fix the system that is failing too many people and putting unsustainable pressure on families and the NHS.”
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