Tories and Reform UK vow to fight any social care reform involving tax rises
UK opposition parties warn Prime Minister Andy Burnham they will block any adult social care plan that includes tax increases. Burnham pledges to use 'political capital' to fix the crumbling system but stops short of a firm timeline.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham faces strong opposition from the Conservatives and Reform UK, who have declared they will fight any adult social care reform that involves tax rises. In an open letter on Monday morning, Kemi Badenoch indicated the Tories are willing to cooperate but only if no new taxes are imposed and extra money comes from spending cuts. Reform UK's Robert Jenrick called a potential 'care levy' a 'radical tax grab' and challenged Burnham to hold an election on the issue.
In an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, set to air Monday evening, Burnham vowed to use 'whatever political capital I have' to finally fix the social care system. He did not commit to implementing a new system before the next election, acknowledging full reform could take up to a decade, but said 'major changes' are possible before then. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey expressed hope for a 'real and lasting consensus' and offered to work with Burnham.
Burnham's Labour government holds a working majority of 166, allowing it to pass legislation without Tory support. However, any reforms could be reversed if a future government opposed to them takes power. Burnham is expected to deliver a speech on social care on Wednesday, while earlier on Monday he is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a UK naval base.
The backdrop includes stark differences in budget projections: Labour's planned spending for 2028/29 is £152 billion higher than the previous Conservative government's forecasts, which economists widely criticized as unrealistically low.
