The government has come under fire from campaigners for not showing the same “passion” for reform of social care as it has done for football matters.
The Independent Care Group (ICG) said the government has moved far more quickly to see off the threat of a ‘European Super League’ than reforms for the care of older and vulnerable people.
“Tackling a threat to the national game happened in the blinking of an eye, whilst reform of social care is going at glacial pace,” said ICG chairman Mike Padgham (pictured).
“We have seen that the government can move extremely quickly when it wants to when it comes to tackling an emergency. Whilst I can see that sport, and in this case, football, is very important to the country it is a shame that the government cannot show even a tiny amount of the same passion in tackling the social care issue,” he added.
Padgham said some 1.4m people are living without the care they need every day and reform of social care has been promised right back to when Tony Blair and Gordon Brown promised to tackle the situation after they were elected in 1997.
Care providers and those needing care had waited patiently behind other crises – most recently Covid-19 and Brexit, he added.
“But it is really galling to see that care was pushed further down the pecking order very quickly when football was in crisis.
“I love football, but I just want to see a little of the same enthusiasm turned towards reforming care now that the immediate threat to its future is receding.”
