General Election 2017: Hornsey and Wood Green candidates debate social care crisis
Hornsey and Wood Green candidates (L-R): Catherine West, Helen Spiby-Vann, Sam Hall, organisers Sue Hessel and Mary Langan, Dawn Barnes and Nimco Ali. Picture: ANNA NICHOLSON - Credit: Archant
A tax on salt, scrapping Trident and adding a penny to income tax were three solutions to the social care crisis put forward in a general election hustings yesterday.
Carers quizzed Hornsey and Wood Green’s parliamentary candidates on funding, respite centre closures and benefits during their coffee morning at Crouch End’s Abide Church Hall.
Helen Spiby-Vann of the Christian Alliance party promised a money raising salt tax and highlighted the benefits of “biblical marriage” as cures for social ills.
She commented that she wanted to ensure the constituency was a beautiful place to live in saying, “We can do that by doing things God’s way.”
Lib Dem candidate Dawn Barnes promised £12m for local social care budgets to “make carers’ daily lives a little less full on”.
The Green’s Sam Hall repeated his party’s pledge to scrap Trident to raise extra funds and give all carers a wage.
Both Lib Dem and Green Party candidates attacked Tory plans for a so-called “dementia tax” which could see people forced to sell their homes to pay care costs.
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Dawn Barnes said: “There’s a huge issue here. There are lots of people who don’t own a home. They cannot afford to get on the property ladder. They’re not going to have a home to sell.”
Sam Hall commented saying: “It’s going to get worse and worse if we follow this path.”
Labour Party candidate Catherine West outlined her record before grouping the absent Tory and UKIP candidates as a single party.
Mrs West said: “I’m not surprised they aren’t here today because I don’t think they prioritise [social care] spending.”
She ended saying: “This election we have a real choice - more austerity or relaxed austerity to some degree.”
The Women’s Equality Party candidate Nimco Ali pledged to make carers’ voices heard.
“Caring is seen as a burden not the glue that keeps the economy together. The key thing is to flip how we look at carers,” she said.
Speaking afterwards, Sue Hessel – who organised the hustings with the National Autism Society and Save Autism Services Haringey – said: “I’m hoping whoever wins exercises the strength and scrutiny Haringey’s local services require.”