Ed Davey calls on Starmer and Sunak to make ‘cast iron commitment’ to cross-party talks on social care crisis

Published

2 years ago

March 17, 2024

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Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has called for Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer to include a “cast iron commitment” to cross party talks on social care in their election manifestos.

In a speech at the party’s spring conference in York, he said the prime minister and Labour leader should bring their ideas “to the table” as the crisis in care needs a “long term solution” lasting beyond one term in parliament.

Politics Live: Rishi Sunak ‘will lead Tories’ into next election

Sir Ed said: “Like so many big challenges, fixing social care will take a different kind of politics.

“Because it needs a long-term agreement. One that will stand the test of time – and last beyond one parliament and one party’s turn in government.

“That’s why we are calling on all parties to include in their manifestos a cast-iron commitment to finally hold cross-party talks on social care.”

Sir Ed, who is a carer for his disabled teenage son, said finding a solution to care has been “kicked down the road for far too long”, with people facing “catastrophic costs” and forced to sell their own homes “just because they or their loved ones need care”.

In a direct message to his political rivals, he said: “Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer… come to the table. Bring your ideas.

“Let’s finally sort this out.”

In the Conservatives’ 2019 manifesto, then-prime minister Boris Johnson said that “nobody needing care should be forced to sell their home to pay for it”.

He later announced plans to cap the costs of social care, but they were delayed by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the November 2022 budget.

Both the Conservatives and Labour have been largely quiet on the matter, with the looming general election dominated by issues like the economy, NHS and immigration.

Sir Ed used much of his speech to goad the prime minister into calling an election now, saying the date of the next vote “is the only thing left that Rishi Sunak controls any more”.

“He certainly doesn’t control his party, certainly not his cabinet, certainly not the healthcare crisis or the economy,” he said.

“In fact, the prime minister sounds like he’s given up.”

He agued his party was the only one to offer “transformational change”, while the Tories and Labour were just “tinkering around the edges”.

As well as talking about social care, Sir Ed used his speech to discuss issues the party has been heavily campaigning on like the NHS, sewage in the rivers and the need for electoral reform.

The party leader also touched on what he would do about Brexit – an issue he’s been reluctant to be drawn on in the past.

He said he wants to set the UK “on the path back to the Single Market”.

“Our plan to repair the damage the Conservatives have done and, in time, to restore Britain’s place at the heart of Europe. Where we belong,” he said.

The Lib Dems are hoping to make gains in traditional Conservative strongholds at the election, particularly seeking to win over voters in the South and southwest of England – the so-called “blue wall”.

The party has struggled at general elections since its coalition with the Conservatives in 2010, winning only 11 seats at the last election in 2019.

But it has since gained formerly Tory constituencies across southern England in a series of by-elections, including Chesham and Amersham in Buckinghamshire, Frome in Somerset, Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, and North Shropshire.

Sir Ed’s speech came as the prime minister faced reports that some Conservative MPs are plotting to replace him before the election, and criticism over his handling of the emergence of alleged racist remarks about Labour’s Diane Abbott by major Tory donor Frank Hester.

But earlier cabinet minister Marker Harper dismissed rumours of a mutiny, telling Sky News the prime minister will lead the country into the next election and his decisions “will pay off”.

The election must be held by January 2025 at the latest, but Mr Sunak has said his “working assumption” is that it will happen in the second half of this year.

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Jeremy Corbyn declines to call Zarah Sultana a friend as Your Party holds first conference

Published

3 hours ago

November 29, 2025

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Jeremy Corbyn declines to call Zarah Sultana a friend as Your Party holds first conference

Jeremy Corbyn has declined to say his Your Party co-founder Zarah Sultana is a friend as supporters of the new grouping gather in Liverpool.

Speaking to Sky News on the eve of the conference, Mr Corbyn acknowledged “stresses and strains” in the set-up of the party but said it had become “a lot better in the last few days and weeks and we’re going to get through this weekend”.

The former Labour leader has publicly clashed with Ms Sultana, the MP for Coventry South, over the launch and structure of the new party.

Asked if they were friends, Mr Corbyn said they were “colleagues in parliament, and we obviously communicate and so on”.

The pair appeared at separate events on the eve of the party’s inaugural gathering.

Ms Sultana had previously claimed she was being “sidelined” by a “sexist boys’ club” within the fledgling party.

Mr Corbyn said her comments were an “unfortunate choice of words” but added that he had been more involved in the organisation of the conference than she had.

The Islington North MP also said that Your Party was still waiting for Ms Sultana to transfer all of the funds she had raised from supporters.

“Obviously having money up front for a conference is a big help,” he said.

Ms Sultana has insisted she is transferring the donations in stages.

The weekend gathering in Liverpool will see supporters choose between four options for a permanent party name: Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance, For the Many.

The preferred choice of Ms Sultana – The Left – did not make the ballot.

Similarly, the Coventry MP had said she favoured a co-leader approach, but members will only be able to pick between single leadership or collective leadership models.

Speaking at her own pre-conference rally, Ms Sultana blamed a “nameless, faceless bureaucrat” for restricting the choices.

The meeting also risked being disrupted by a series of member expulsions. One of those ejected, Lewis Nielsen, accused a “clique” of trying to “take over”.

Your Party sources said expulsions related to members of the Socialist Workers Party and that holding another national party membership was not allowed.

Ms Sultana blamed a “culture of paranoia at the top” and said she believed the same people who had been briefing against her were now also expelling members.

Mr Corbyn will open the conference on Saturday, while the results of the main decision-making votes will be announced on Sunday.

Politics

Your Party co-founder Zarah Sultana refuses to enter group’s conference hall

Published

4 hours ago

November 29, 2025

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Your Party co-founder Zarah Sultana refuses to enter group's conference hall

Zarah Sultana has boycotted day one of the Your Party Conference over the expulsion of members of left-wing groups.

Ms Sultana co-founded Your Party with Jeremy Corbyn in July, but the new movement has been marred with infighting from the outset.

There was a row on the eve of conference after it emerged members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) had been expelled from Your Party, as its rules do not permit dual membership.

But a spokesperson for Ms Sultana branded this a “witch hunt” and said she won’t be returning until her speech tomorrow.

She said: “Zarah met members outside the conference and condemned the recent expulsions. This witch hunt is indefensible. We must build a party that welcomes all socialists. She will not be entering the conference hall today.”

Members of the SWP argue dual membership should be allowed as the SWP doesn’t field election candidates.

Lewis Nieslon, SWP’s national secretary, was expelled on Friday as he was on his way to Liverpool.

He told Sky News: “With far right Reform UK topping the polls and Starmer paving the way for them, we urgently need a new party that unites the whole left.

“It’s wrong for those at the top of Your Party to turn fire on socialists like us who have been key to building Your Party on the ground, and are determined to make it the insurgent, inspiring force it can be.”

Members of the left-wing organisation Counterfire have also been banned from conference, Sky News has learned.

Cllr Michael Lavalette, who helped set up Your Party’s Preston branch, told Sky News earlier this morning that he was not allowed to enter the venue today.

He said he was told there is intelligence Counterfire was going to be disruptive, which he said is “simply not true”.

“Counterfire is a very pro-Your Party organisation so I am not sure where that has come from”, he said.

He said he has been told the intelligence will be shared with him which “will be interesting to see because I’ve never said anything disruptive, I’ve been encouraging people to come”.

Ms Sultana has been advocating for what she calls “maximum member democracy” and believes anyone who is a socialist should be allowed in Your Party.

Her allies see the expulsions as an attempt to purge those supportive of her. There are many grassroots left wing groups who want Your Party to be led by members rather than a single MP, a position Ms Sultana supports.

However a Your Party spokesperson said claims of a purge are “false”.

They said: “Members of another national political party signed up to Your Party in contravention of clearly-stated membership rules – and these rules were enforced.

They added: “We’re focused on hosting a democratic founding conference with thousands of members coming together to debate and decide the big issues. This is politics outside the Westminster mold: from the ground up, not the top down.”

Ms Sultana was not due to address the conference today with her speech coming on Sunday afternoon. A source close to her said she was “very much looking forward to it”.

They added that it was an “interesting” choice of programming, giving voting on the party’s key issues – including whether dual membership should be allowed – will be closed by the time she gives her keynote address, unlike Mr Corbyn who spoke this morning.

Ms Sultana was not involved in organising the conference and claims she was frozen out of the process.

But those in Mr Corbyn’s camp claim she froze herself out when she quit the independent alliance (IA), the group of independent MPs and volunteers close to the former Labour leader, who have been stewarding the party’s founding process leading up to the conference this weekend.

Ms Sultana previously accused that group of being a “sexist boys club”, in a major row in September that saw her launch an unauthorised membership portal.

Your Party has also faced clashes over its name, its finances, its policy positions – with this conference aimed at turning over a new page and convincing voters it can get fighting fit by the local elections in May.

But deep tensions remain between the two camps – those close to Mr Corbyn and those close to Ms Sultana.

On Friday, Mr Corbyn declined to say Ms Sultana is a friend.

Speaking to Sky News on the eve of the conference, Mr Corbyn acknowledged “stresses and strains” in the set-up of the party but said it had become “a lot better in the last few days and weeks and we’re going to get through this weekend”.

Asked if they were friends, Mr Corbyn said they were “colleagues in parliament, and we obviously communicate and so on”.

The pair appeared at separate events on the eve of the party’s inaugural gathering.

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Politics

Jeremy Corbyn declines to call Zarah Sultana a friend as Your Party holds first conference

Published

6 hours ago