Labour’s Angela Rayner has said she will “fight every single day” for carers in England to receive the real living wage as she recalled her own experience as a care worker.
The party’s deputy leader said she remembered the feeling of people looking down on her during her time working in social care, which she described as a “special job”.
During the Citizens UK’s General Election assembly, Ms Rayner also revealed that she had found parts of the General Election campaign “nasty”.
Speaking at the event held in Westminster on Monday, Ms Rayner said: “I was a home help, I know how special that job is.”
She added that it is “unacceptable” that carers are not paid a fair wage for the job they do.
Ms Rayner said she would “fight every single day” to bring carers real living wage pay “as quickly as possible”.
She added: “You save so much money by having a skilled care workforce.”
Recalling her time as a care worker for Stockport Council, Ms Rayner said: “I worked day and night on the frontline of our public services.
“It was tough work, but I loved the people I worked with and the people I cared for. It’s a special job.
“But I noticed something too, something I’ve gotten used to throughout my life, there were some people who didn’t always respect us for what we did.
“Looked down on us for living in a council house or being a single parent. And the wages and the conditions were not what they ought to be.”
Elsewhere in her speech, Ms Rayner pointed to politics being a difficult industry. She said: “I know that politics isn’t always the most enjoyable business. Bits of this election campaign have been nasty.
“And if we win this Thursday, being in government won’t always be easy either.”
She added that Labour is “under no illusion” of the “mountain” the party has to climb if elected later this week.
She told the assembly: “For too long, the people running our country have not just had the wrong ideas but the wrong priorities too.
“They’ve lost sight of what’s important. The basic things in life that we all need.”
Ms Rayner added: “Standing in front of you today I am under no illusion about the mountain we have to climb.
“But I take comfort in knowing I am one voice in a movement. A movement which is greater than any politician’s promise.
“We seek power so we can hand it back to you – the people.”
Ms Rayner also said she is “determined” to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote, if elected.