Ed Davey makes biscuits with young carers and says they deserve ‘better’ support

The Lib Dem leader met young carers at Jenny’s Tea Room in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, where the group made and decorated biscuits together.

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey joins a group of young carers for a tea party at Jenny’s Tea Shop in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, ahead of his speech at the Liberal Democrats spring conference on Sunday (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Sir Ed Davey said young carers need to be supported “far better” as he joined a group to make and decorate biscuits.

The Lib Dem leader met young carers at Jenny’s Tea Room in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, as the town hosted the party’s spring conference.

“Young carers are amongst the most special people in our society. From a very early age often, we see young children looking after their brothers, their sisters, their mothers and their fathers,” he said.

“It comes at a great cost to them. It can interfere with their education, even their health.

“I think we need to recognise the role they play and support them far better.”

Sir Ed has spoken about how his politics are informed by his own experiences of being a carer for his mother and his disabled son.

“I was a young carer myself”, he said, adding: “I looked after my mum, who was terminally ill for nearly two years.

Liberal Democrats spring conference — Sir Ed Davey decorates biscuits with a group of young carers during a tea party at Jenny’s Tea Shop in Harrogate, North Yorkshire (Owen Humphreys/PA)

“I was very fortunate. I had support from a loving family, and we weren’t badly off, but I’ve seen the struggle that so many young carers have, and I want to make sure that, given my own experience, I speak up for them and we get them the support they need.”

The Lib Dem leader launched a charity single last Christmas to raise awareness of young carers’ lives, appearing outside the front door of No 10 Downing Street to perform.

The single, Love Is Enough, which was recorded with the Bath Philharmonia Young Carers’ Choir, failed to make it to the top of the Christmas charts but did reach the number 39 slot.

At the spring party conference, Sir Ed has called the Labour Government’s welfare cuts “really alarming” and the party launched new proposals for a £1.5 billion fund to help the NHS through winter months and ease pressure on waiting times.

Asked about the party’s new proposals to end “corridor care” in the NHS, Sir Ed said: “If you go to hospitals around the country, you’ll see loads of people being treated in hospital corridors.

“That’s not good medical practise, and it’s not, frankly, dignified.

“We think we should have more GPs and community pharmacists available in the community so people don’t go to hospital in the first place, and we should invest in social care and care beds and care workers so that people can get out of hospital more quickly and free up those beds.”

Sir Ed added: “We just hope Labour will listen, because I think Liberal Democrats are the champions for health and I think we’re putting forward a very practical set of policies.”