Care cuts u-turn

8.40.53am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 19th Oct 2006

Lib Dems have welcomed a Conservative u-turn on care cuts in Hampshire

Liberal Democrats have welcomed a decision by

Hampshire's Tory leader to back down on proposals to deny

care to thousands of Hampshire people - but warned local people to keep the pressure on.

The Conservatives had decided to consult people on a proposal to reduce

the right to care services to just those who are judged to be in

"critical" need.

On 8th October the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Cllr Adrian

Collett, and the Social Care Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats,

Cllr Alan Dowden, wrote an open letter highlighting this issue.

They asked for people to make their views known, and it is clear that

many people have. The County Council press release refers to "scores of

letters and telephone calls" all of which told the County Council not

to do this.

A victory for people power, but Lib Dems will keep up their campaign against care cuts because a programme of care home closures in Hampshire is going ahead.