Responding to Jonathan Ashworth’s comments on the Today Programme that he was not convinced by a cross-party approach to tackling the crisis in social care, former Liberal Democrat Health Minister Norman Lamb said: 

“It is disappointing, but not at all surprising, that the Labour Party seems intent on putting petty political point scoring ahead of the opportunity to genuinely help millions of vulnerable older people. We already know more than a million people are not getting social care they need, and this is only set to get worse as politicians in Westminster fail to act. Shouting at each other doesn’t get older people the care they need.

“Thankfully, there are many Labour Members of Parliament along with many Conservative MPs who have joined together with Liberal Democrats to call for a cross-party commission on the NHS and social care crisis. Surely, in a Parliament with no Government majority, we all have a responsibility to try to solve this problem?”