WATCH: Care workers not to blame – government “far too slow to act”, says Labour

Liz Kendall has said that care workers are not to blame for Covid-19 deaths in care homes and that the Prime Minister should acknowledge instead that the government was “far too slow to act”.

In an interview with Sky News this morning, the shadow minister for social care discussed comments made by Boris Johnson yesterday – in which he said “too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures”.

Kendall said that many of the care workers will have been “shocked and appalled” by the statement by the Prime Minister after “they have given their all to try and protect elderly people”.

She said: “Care workers have gone above and beyond the call of duty, and many of them in care homes have seen really traumatic things. They have given their all to try and protect elderly people.

“And I think many of them will just be shocked and appalled that the Prime Minister seems to be blaming care homes, rather than acknowledging that the government was far too slow to act to keep elderly people safe.”

Since Johnson made the comment yesterday, No. 10 have insisted that he was “absolutely not” blaming care homes. Almost 20,000 people have died from coronavirus in care homes since the start of the pandemic in March.