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This scaremongering was not accidental, and it was not well-intentioned. It was deliberately driven by senior opposition figures for political vanity, not to protect residents, staff or families, but to grab headlines and stir outrage.
Let us be absolutely clear. Reform Lancashire never said these care homes would close. Not once. They were placed under review, full stop.
The opposition knowingly distorted that fact and pushed a false, media-fuelled narrative they understood would cause fear and anxiety. Sadly, it worked, and it caused real harm.
Vulnerable residents were frightened. Families were left distressed. Dedicated care staff were unsettled and undermined. Using people’s lives as political weapons is wrong, and everyone affected by these tactics deserves a public apology.
County Councillor Gaynor Hargreaves, Champion for Disabled People, said:
“Repeated unannounced and unwarranted visits caused significant disruption within the homes. Staff, residents and families were left unsettled and anxious.
Care routines were interrupted, staff were distressed by the tone of these encounters, and precious time was taken away from care delivery. Trust and stability that had been carefully built were undermined for no reason.”
Reform Lancashire is investing in the five listed care homes. We are strengthening them, not shutting them down.
The opposition’s claims are wrong morally, politically, and factually.
It was the previous administration that failed these homes. They underfunded them, neglected them and left serious issues unresolved. Reform Lancashire launched a review to expose that damage, and we are now fixing it.
We are investing properly to secure stable, high-quality care environments for years to come.
“As the champion, I am heartbroken to hear from managers about the impact these protests have had on residents, families and the carers who support them.
I spoke to a relative who pleaded with me not to close the care home because her husband was so settled there.
I listened to a manager who explained that carers had left for other jobs due to fears about job security, and I heard of families considering moving loved ones purely because they were frightened the home would close.
These actions caused deep and unnecessary stress. Those responsible should be ashamed.”
Reform Lancashire has acted responsibly and in the best interests of residents and staff. The opposition has acted recklessly, spreading fear, misinformation, and instability for political gain.
That behaviour is indefensible.
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