Burnham Will Not Rule Out Tax Rises for Social Care
Andy Burnham refused to rule out tax rises to pay for an overhaul of adult social care, as he set out a three-point plan he said would end a system “as unfair as American healthcare”. The Prime Minister warned of “difficult decisions” ahead but insisted cross-party talks must come first. He also signalled that private firms would be largely shut out of the reformed service.
Social care has defeated successive governments precisely because no party would own the cost, and Mr Burnham’s refusal to take tax rises off the table is a calculated bet that candour will succeed where evasion has failed. Critics were quick to warn of a “death tax” on inheritances, though ministers set out no specific mechanism. The Conservatives signalled cautious willingness to talk while setting fiscal red lines. How to fund reform, not whether to attempt it, is now the battleground. Watch for the detail of how the government proposes to pay.