Reflections for June 2025

Last month in this column I said:

Our liberal democrat core principles of equality, freedom of speech, protection under the law, fair government….all these could be expressed as caring  - in every aspect of political and everyday life. This is well illustrated and exampled by Sir Ed Davey in his speeches, in his life, and soon to be published in his writing. 

Now I have bought and read the book. It has given me  a deeper understanding of our Liberal Democrat Leader,  and our respect for him. 

Why I Care gives very clear accounts of Ed’s and his family life as Carers. There is more about other Carers and the systems that care for the Carers. The emotional contents in these chapters  are made real by the facts and the work being done by Carers. The significance of the problems identified are given further reality by the real figures Sir Ed. gives for the reader to consider. A few of them are shown below and I think the facts show why this is a book that can inspire and drive us and others as politicians.

Facts:- There are large organizations, like Carers UK, and Carers Trust, and many more local voluntary groups.

According to Census data (page 201)[1]there are 5.7million unpaid carers in the UK.       

1.2 million unpaid carers live in poverty, with one in 10 living in deep poverty (50% below the poverty line across all four nations).                                   

15,000 children in England are caring for others working 50 or more hours per week (p212)                                 

Carers UK polling in 2024 found that  13% of people are currently caring i.e. about 7 million. Of this, untold numbers – (somewhere between 125,000 and 1 million) are Young Carers under 18 years of age ; the average that young carers take on responsibilities  is when they are seven  and It is three years before they are identified (p 213).                 

Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2024 calculated that if numbers of Carers rise only with population growth, by 2035 there will be an extra 400,000 people in the UK caring for the elderly, sick and disabled – giving 10 or more hours per week -  an 11.3% increase compared to now in 2025.

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK says of Carers “ They provide £162 billion worth of care a year in England and Wales- that is equivalent to a second NHS.” 

Various  problems arise within  matters of Care: unhealthy food (p249),  suicide, homicide, mental health issues, poverty, education (schooling for young carers), employment  - 2.5 million adults are reported to have given up work to care. 

The absurdity of the ‘cliff-edge structure’ of the Carer’s  Allowance is explained (pp262-266) and PIP [Personal Independence Payment).

Sir Ed’s facts above, (in Chapters 9 and 10 particularly), offer sound ways of managing the business of Caring and take the book onto Chapter 11. Here where, if the altruism of ‘the gift economy’ –the huge part contributed freely by Carers - could be properly married to the power of the market economy, [that is work with other agencies] “nothing would stop us”. 

It is understood through these last chapters, that co-operation between politicians should be the route to identifying  problems, agreeing  how to solve them, and then bring about solutions. 

I will quote from the final two pages (322 and 323) of Why I Care, to give a glimpse of Sir Edward Jonathan Davey FRSA[2], [b.25/12/1965]:

“I’m partly a Liberal Democrat because I think we are actually the most radical political party in the UK – because we want system change. From electoral reform to our relationship with Europe; from tackling climate change to a more socially just society. We want the sort of changes to the power of the state – to empower people without power and hold the already powerful to account – that the old Liberal Party would have applauded. In place of an ever-  centralising bureaucracy, we should build a system of better local government and stronger local providers, with the right incentives, who could work with empowered individuals to truly transform public services, and especially health and care, at an affordable cost….”

Amongst  review comments on  the jacket of Why I Care is one from Dan Snow:         ‘The British Public believe Ed Davey is the most authentic of politicians: here is why’                           

Also I say of Sir Ed.:  A kind, brave, clever man[3] happily leading The Liberal Democrats.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

[1] Page numbers refer to this first hard-back edition of Why I Care.

[2] Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts [an honour afforded to individuals who have made significant contributions to social progress and development in arts, science and commerce].

[3] Ed’s kindness is known well beyond his family which shares in his total caring.  Of his education: he took a First in PPE (politics, philosophy, economics) at Jesus College, Oxford. MSc (Economics) at Birkbeck College London. Financial Analyst. Elected Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston & Surbiton 1997-2015 and since 2017. In the Coalition 2012-2015 Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. He has been Leader of The Liberal Democrats since 2020. Sir Ed’s bravery is obvious in his caring family life but it is not often noticed now that  in 1995 he received a Royal Humane Society bravery award. He rescued a woman who had fallen onto the railway line. In the face of an oncoming train at Clapham Junction railway station he had carried her to safety.