Social care talks are being pushed by Andy Burnham, who has invited Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders to discuss reform in England.
Social care talks are set to begin after Andy Burnham invited the leaders of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to discuss reform in England. The prime minister is expected to meet Kemi Badenoch and Sir Ed Davey on Wednesday, and to use a speech that day to argue that cross-party agreement will be central to any lasting change.
Sir Ed said he would join remotely, while Badenoch will not attend and is sending shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew in her place. A Conservative source complained about the short notice and suggested the invitation looked more like a performance than a serious effort. Burnham did not invite Reform UK or the Green Party of England and Wales to the meeting.
Last week, the prime minister told the BBC that the NHS would “collapse” if social care was not fixed. He said he did not want to leave office without making substantial changes and vowed to put whatever political capital he had into the issue, though he gave no timetable. In Wednesday’s speech, he is not expected to publish full plans for a new system, but he is expected to speed up the Casey Commission, the independent review led by Baroness Louise Casey that is drawing up recommendations for a National Care Service. Burnham will be joined by Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, and Baroness Casey will also be present to launch a public consultation.
“Social care talks are being pushed by Andy Burnham, who has invited Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders to discuss reform in England.”
Burnham has argued that politics has gone too far in the way of point-scoring on adult social care and says governments have avoided the issue for decades because it is politically risky and complicated. He first proposed a universal social care system in England in 2009, when he was health secretary under Gordon Brown, including a compulsory levy to pay for it. That proposal was mocked by Conservatives at the time as a “death tax.”
The debate is not just theoretical. Adult social care helps people live more independently, but unlike the NHS it is not free at the point of use. In England and Northern Ireland, people with savings above £23,250 are not eligible for council help with care costs. Families in York are already feeling the strain, with Richard Hardy living at Broadway Lodge Residential Home for two and a half years and his wife Diane worried about how long their savings will last at £1,100 a week. The home’s owner, Faizal Mohamudbaccus, said the system is broken and that councils need to step in faster when residents run out of money. The takeaway is simple: unless Westminster gets this right, more ordinary families will keep facing impossible choices over care and savings.
Frequently asked questions
Who is attending the social care talks?
The prime minister is expected to meet Kemi Badenoch and Sir Ed Davey on Wednesday. Sir Ed will join remotely, and Badenoch is sending Stuart Andrew in her place.
Were all major parties invited to the meeting?
No. Burnham did not invite Reform UK or the Green Party of England and Wales.
What is expected from the prime minister's speech?
He is expected to argue that cross-party agreement is needed for lasting change and to speed up the Casey Commission. He is not expected to publish full plans for a new care system.
Why is social care reform being pressed now?
The prime minister said the NHS would 'collapse' if social care was not fixed, and the article says families are already struggling with high care costs and depleted savings.
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