OPINION: Harrogate MP on making the most of Burnham’s honeymoon period

It’s safe to say we’re exhausted with the constant turnover of Prime Ministers, by-elections and internal party psychodrama.

I could talk until the cows come home about political sleaze, electoral reform and Labour’s refusal to do the right thing and embrace proportional representation, but that’s for another column.

Andy Burnham has a mandate, of sorts, from the people of Makerfield and the Parliamentary Labour Party, and as far as I can tell isn’t being investigated for taking backhanders to the tune of 5 million quid. It’s a start, and he seems determined to use his first 100 days, or honeymoon period, to hit the big issues.

Perhaps it will be the great demographic issue of our time – people living longer, often in poorer health and requiring a mix of residential, community, home-based and family-provided personal care. Or perhaps it will be social care.

Social care was a nettle Theresa May attempted to grasp in a move quickly dubbed the “death tax” in 2017. Since then, only the Liberal Democrats have been brave enough to clearly and consistently call for a radical overhaul of the system and keep it at the top of the agenda. Fundamentally, you can’t solve the crises in our NHS without fixing social care.

I’m feeling hopeful following the cross-party talks between Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, the Prime Minister and the Conservatives. Working cross-party is the only way to find a solution that actually works, and the Lib Dems will be pushing to put family carers at the heart of any new system.

It’s clear we need respite rights for carers, and a complete overhaul of the carers allowance. All too often I hear of those caring for their loved ones struggling to get by, which is why it’s so important for the Government to create a universal safety net and protect people from catastrophic costs, so no family sees their finances devastated by care needs.

This is also the most optimistic I have felt about my campaign to scrap time restrictions on disabled people’s bus passes. My team and I have secured a Ten-Minute Rule Bill, meaning this cause will be debated in Parliament in September. This is a result of years of campaigning, and moves us one step closer to ensuring disabled people can use their bus passes before 9AM no matter which part of the country they’re in.

Burnham’s premiership is perfect timing. Following an event in Parliament we both attended last year, he adopted this very policy, removing time restrictions across Greater Manchester when he was Mayor.

The message is simple – if it’s good enough for Manchester, it’s good enough anywhere. We can change the law across England, but only if the Government backs my campaign.

It’s a no-brainer. This change will give people living with disabilities greater independence, more flexibility in their working lives, and a better chance of getting to medical appointments on time.

On a recent visit to a hospital, I heard first-hand from clinicians about the number of appointments missed simply because patients could not get there on time. The cost of those missed appointments to the NHS is immense. This policy change will help reduce that waste, ensuring valuable resources are spent on patient care rather than being lost through avoidable no-shows.

I’d urge everyone to join charities like the fantastic Disability Action North Yorkshire in backing the campaign, and sign the petition on my website to kick up enough fuss that the Prime Minister hears us over the Pennines.

Let’s keep the energy going.