Richmond Park parliamentary candidates share their views on social care
By Cesar Medina
1st Jul 2024 | General Election 2024
Richmond Nub News reached out to each Richmond Park candidates and asked questions on social care. Here are their responses.
Laura Coryton MBE - Labour Party
"Supporting older people in Richmond Park is a top priority for me.
"I was lucky enough to grow up in a multi-generational household, of which my grandparents were an important part.
"Having supported them closely through every stage of their retirement, I saw them struggle with uncertainty over pensions and the huge expense of care.
"Labour has a plan to tackle these problems.
"We have committed to the pension triple lock and increase the state pension each year in line with inflation, average earnings, or by 2.5 per cent, whichever is higher.
"I will outline how we'll solve the pressing social care problem in my next answer.
"We will support pensioners and give them the dignity and security they deserve to enjoy retirement.
"It's also hugely important to support people who are disabled. Labour will show everyone compassion and dignity.
"We will tackle the backlog of Access to Work claims and give disabled people the confidence to start working without the fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out.
"The social care sector needs deep reform: there are inconsistent standards, chronic staff shortages, and people are not always treated with the care, dignity and respect they deserve.
"Labour will undertake a programme of reform to create a National Care Service, underpinned by national standards, delivering consistency of care across the country.
"Services will be locally delivered, with a principle of 'home first' that supports people to live independently for as long as possible.
"Our new standards will ensure high-quality care and ongoing sustainability, and ensure providers behave responsibly.
"Labour will develop local partnership working between the NHS and social care on hospital discharge and will ensure carers are paid a decent living wage to reflect the importance of their job.
"If elected, I will work hard to ensure Richmond Park and North Kingston becomes a leading constituency in delivering high quality, impactful social care for anyone who needs it.
"If people vote for a Labour government, I uniquely will give Richmond a voice in government and will be able to put our constituency at the heart of the national social care plan."
Sara Gezdari - Conservative Party
"When people have worked their whole life, contributed to society and funded our public services through their taxes, they deserve to be comfortable in their retirement.
"I believe we must do all we can to ensure that they are.
"That is why the Conservative government has increased the State Pension by £3,700 since 2010 - this is £990 more than if it had been uprated by prices and £1000 more than if it had been uprated by earnings.
"Under the Conservative government pensioners have the income they need to live with dignity thanks to the Triple Lock.
"But we plan to go further, with the introduction of a new Triple Lock Plus.
"This will boost pensioners' income by £1,677.
"We have also helped older people by delivering nearly 12 million Winter Fuel Payments and Pensioner Cost of Living Payments.
"The choice at this election is crystal clear.
"Either choose to vote Conservative and secure dignity and comfort for older people - or the Liberal Democrats, who will let in a Labour government and Labour's Retirement Tax."
Sarah Olney - Liberal Democrat
"We have a serious crisis in our care system.
"If re-elected, I would champion free personal care, as has already been introduced by my party in Scotland, so that provision is based on need, not ability to pay.
"However, we simply need more carers.
"Caring is an incredibly hard profession, and we should reward it accordingly.
"The Liberal Democrats have committed to increasing the basic minimum wage for carers and would set up a cross party commission to ensure funding for social care was sustainable.
"This problem can only be solved in Westminster.
"The Conservatives have failed, and Labour proposals are minimal at best, if re-elected, improving social care will be at the heart of the Liberal Democrats work in parliament."
Chas Warlow - Green Party
"We know that social care costs are a real problem for many people in the area.
"The Green Party has a plan to support social care, as well as NHS primary care.
"Each year over the lifetime of the next parliament, we would invest £20 billion in providing free personal care for adults, as well as major investment to support NHS primary care, dental care, reduce the operations waiting list and make it easier to see a mental health specialist.
"By law, local councils have to pay for adult social care - in Richmond this takes up 40% of our Council Tax - so it's really important that whoever is in government from 5 July gives councils enough money to provide this care.
"We also need to retain carers and recruit more of them - the Green Party has made a commitment to increase pay, improve conditions, fund more training and create an improved career path for carers.
"For children in social care, Greens will push for an additional £3bn so local authorities can provide high-quality children's social care.
"Elected Greens will also push for children in foster care or who have been adopted to have consistent access to a trained counsellor until it is no longer required.
"For disabled people, Greens in government would also increase disability benefits, oppose intrusive disability benefit tests and provide more in-job support.
"We would also push for all housing to be built to take disabilities into consideration."
We were not able to provide responses from all candidates as some did not respond to our request.
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