Responding to news that the County Council-run Maudes Meadow residential home in Kendal is to be closed until March next year, local Labour Party members staged a silent protest outside the home recently.

Virginia Branney, Kendal Town Labour campaigner (3^rd from left) commented: “Social care is in crisis and it is not the Council’s fault. Sadly, staff shortages are the predictable outcome of prolonged Government under-funding of councils which have responsibility for the provision of care services. The under-valuation of care work is a national scandal but this Government has no plan to fix it.”

Placards (left to right):   ‘No Tory plan for social care = care homes closures.’  ‘This is a crisis Boris! Fund councils now to save social care.’  ‘The system is broken. It’s time for a national care service.’