Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Mental Health and Social Care, responding to Theresa May’s admission at Prime Minister’s Questions that the “social care system is under pressure”, said:

“Theresa May has belatedly admitted what health and local government leaders, professionals working in care, family carers and much of the country knows: under the Tories social care is in crisis.

“Crocodile tears from the PM won’t change the fact that responsibility for the social care crisis lies firmly at the door of the Tories. They have neglected this vital sector for years, slashing £4.5 billion from social care budgets since 2010. And they revealed just how little the Tory Government cared last week when they couldn’t find even a single penny extra for social care in their Autumn Statement.

“The Tories’ actions speak for themselves. They have created a crisis in social care and they have no plan to deal with it. Only Labour can be trusted to bring the change we need and rescue social care.”