Local Labour MPs fail to back fixes for health and care crises

Local Liberal Democrats have criticised Labour's MPs in Cardiff for failing to support votes that would have seen the UK Government end the carer's repayment scandal and more money made available for the Welsh NHS.

Cardiff Labour MPs Jo Stevens (Cardiff East), Anna McMorrin (Cardiff North) and Alex Barros-Curtis (Cardiff West) voted to reject two parliamentary motions to tackle the health and care crises. Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South & Penarth) didn't show up for the votes.

Tabled as part of the Liberal Democrats’ first Opposition Day since 2009, the first proposal focused on the Carer’s Allowance repayments scandal, calling on the Government to write off existing overpayments and conduct a full review of support for unpaid carers. 

The second motion urged Ministers to boost access to community healthcare, lambasting the current wait times for GP, NHS dentist and local pharmacy appointments. Such a boost in England would make more money available for Welsh ministers to invest in our NHS here.

Shocking recent data uncovered by the Liberal Democrats revealed that in the last year, 45% of Brits have tried and were unable to get an NHS appointment. The statistics further indicated that 1 in 4 people have been unable to work because of this lack of access to appointments. 

The Liberal Democrats’ proposal called for new healthcare mandates which would give everyone the right to see a GP within 7 days (or within 24 hours if in urgent need) and guarantee emergency access to an NHS dentist.

Despite the huge strain on the NHS as we head into the winter months, not a single Labour MP backed the motions. Local Lib Dems criticised their decision as “deeply disappointing.”

Cllr Rodney Berman, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Cardiff East, said:

“I’m deeply disappointed to see that the Labour Government opposed these motions. 

"What was even more disappointing was to see our local MPs fail to support motions in Parliament that could've meant more support for health and care services in our community. 

“The state of local healthcare is dire and the carers’ overpayment scandal is a national disgrace. Families and pensioners across Cardiff are in desperate need of a fair deal. 

“That’s why Liberal Democrat MPs threw their support behind these measures - voting to rescue our GPs, NHS dentists, community pharmacists and of course our carers. 

“Locally, we’ll keep putting pressure on our Labour MPs to do the right thing. Investing in public services like the NHS and social care must be their top priority.”