EVERY week I see more evidence of the terrible impact of our crumbling social-care system.

It’s Dementia Awareness Week, which raises awareness of the need for better care.

Dementia places an unacceptable financial burden on families, with social care for people with dementia often costing at least 15 per cent more than it does for other people.

This is just one issue which is exacerbated by the crisis in social care.

It is now affecting all aspects of social care, from support for families with children to elderly care, and the only way to tackle it will be through a comprehensive overhaul of the system.

It will take Labour’s commitment to create a National Care Service to rebuild social-care provision.

The National Care Service would see an £8 billion investment and a lifelong commitment to provide joined-up support, ensuring that people are not left to fend for themselves.

The shrinking of public services doesn’t just affect people and their families who need support most.

When a government abdicates responsibility for supporting vulnerable people, it creates a dangerous vacuum.

The absence of a sense of security about the future creates fear, anger and instability, and we are seeing the consequence of that in today’s uncertain and shifting political climate.

Without a united effort to rebuild fairer communities, and a social structure that works to help people when they need a little support from the state, we will see more people believing that populism is the solution.

My caseworkers have now supported more than 1,500 Stroud people on all kinds of issues. They will be in the Maypole Hall on Thursday, May 30, from 1.30pm to 3pm for their regular drop-in surgery.