We need to talk about how the UK supports its growing number of older people, and in particular about the end of life. One of the many weaknesses of British politics is that its structure does not make it easy to link related issues, But the age of retirement, pensions for the elderly, the rising […]
health
Watch: Daisy Cooper respond to the Spring Statement
Watch our Treasury Spokesperson Daisy Cooper respond to the Spring Statement: The text is below: The people of this country are crying out for change, but they feel they are just getting more of the same. Of course, it was the Conservative party that wrecked the public finances, but we are eight months into the […]
Daisy Cooper says no to fuel and NI rises and yes to more investment in public services
Daisy Cooper was on Sunday with Trevor Phillips on Sky News. As our new Treasury Spokesperson, she was asked about what she wanted to see in the Budget. But first, she was asked whether she accepted the Government’s narrative about the £22 billion black hole in the public finances. She replied that there was no […]
Wera Hobhouse calls for action to tackle eating disorders
Anyone who has supported a loved one with an eating disorder will appreciate Wera Hobhouse’s tireless efforts to get better support and services for those living with these terrible and distressing conditions. 1.25 million people have an eating disorder in the UK. Eating disorders can impact anybody, and everybody. As chair of the Eating disorders […]
186 days – my misadventures with Long Covid
186 days. Not far off half a year. That’s how long it’s been since I first had Covid symptoms. We had tried very hard to avoid it for 26 months, but our son going to a Marina and Diamonds concert in Dublin at the end of May was always going to be a high risk […]
Does your hospital have dedicated baby loss facilities?
Imagine you have just heard the news that every parent to be dreads – that you are losing your much wanted baby. Then, you have to give birth, or support your partner giving birth on the labour ward in your hospital. You can hear the sounds of newborn babies crying and the associated sounds of […]
The Conservatives fail because they think they know best.
One of the characteristics of this awful government is that they manage to present even ideas with a modicum of sense in a way which ensures they will be unpopular. Yesterday we had a classic example in the news that the new Health Secretary, Thérèse Coffey as part of her ‘Plan for Patients’ is planning […]
Lord help us all….Lib Dems react to new Cabinet
So Liz Truss is now ensconced in Downing Street appointing her new Cabinet. And it looks like it is going to be one of the most socially as well as economically conservative governments in over quarter of a century. This is somewhat surprising given that she is the first Prime Minister of my lifetime who […]
Ed Davey’s speech to Conference: Lib Dems can defeat this awful Government
A powerful selection on Ukraine, a call for Priti Patel to be sacked, a celebration of Chesham and Amersham and North Shropshire, a tribute to Lib Dem by-election stalwart Erlend Watson, a decent gag about Dick Turpin, an evisceration of the Tories over sleaze and partygate (including a call for a public enquiry into Boris […]
A whole systems approach to solving the health and social care crisis
The Health and Social Care Bill currently in the House of Lords is intended to: sort out the under-funding of social care; remove the need for people to sell their houses to pay for their care; promote joined-up service delivery; replace the competitive model with a collaborative one. Sadly, as I wrote here, it appears […]