Fight to save care homes in Carlisle

Socialist Party members out campaigning against care home closures, photo by Carlisle Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)

Carlisle Socialist Party

Cumbria County Council is planning to close three care homes and replace them with another building which only has 60 beds instead of the current 117. Another four homes will be closed in West Cumbria. Only those suffering from dementia and the most complex needs will get a place. But what about respite care? What about family carers?

Why don't the council put up a fight against the Tory government cuts instead of just passing them on to the most vulnerable? For six years the Blairite New Labour councillors have colluded with the local Tories, and now the Liberal Democrats, to faithfully impose on Cumbria cuts to our vital public services.

The councillors are being dishonest and cynical in deliberately manufacturing a false impression about the necessity of these homes. They claim they are half empty, but this is because they have recently been turning needy people away and not employing enough staff in order to justify their plan to cut costs.

Their other excuse sounds nice: caring for old folk longer in their own homes. But the reality will be a carer finding an 'independent' incontinent old person lying face down on the floor after a fall in the night suffering hypothermia.

"Care in the community" means abandoned in the community. These cuts will be fatal. They, and the cuts to the NHS and Cumbrian schools, must be abandoned now.

Carlisle Socialist Party have started a campaign against these closures and have collected over 300 signatures to our petition already.

Join our fight against the cuts and come to our public meeting on 17 October at 7pm at the Club Britannia, 35 Lowther St, Carlisle

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to click here to donate to our Fighting Fund.