Burnham pledges eventual action on social care

Politics / 25 September 2026 Polanski heckled at by-election husting for condemning zionism 25 September 2026 Jewish Voice for Liberation, however, praises the Green Party leader's stance and for showing that ‘Jews are not one homogeneous bloc’

LABOUR is going to act on the social care crisis — but not until after the next general election, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said today.

His remarks, made in Liverpool as the Labour Party gathered for its annual conference, suggested that he would like to fund his plans from an additional tax, for which he would need an electoral mandate.

Mr Burnham told the BBC: “I will develop a very clear plan, and I will put that plan to the public at a general election.”

He added that he would stick for the rest of this parliament to the pledges made in the last manifesto not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT.

Mr Burnham has made the issue a signature one of his premiership. His own father died earlier this month after suffering from Alzheimer’s requiring social care.

He has argued that without social care reform, the NHS could collapse. “Somebody needs to grasp the nettle. I will be the one to do that,” he said.

The current system was “as unfair as American healthcare” and the “most vulnerable in society can lose everything, they can be wiped out,” he said.

He is expected to set out further details of his thinking in his keynote conference address tomorrow.

The PM also indicated that he hopes to see the welfare bill reduced before the next election, but not on the basis of “crude cuts.”

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan welcomed the PM’s commitment to creating a national care service, saying: “Somebody has to finally grapple with this issue.

“Care workers and those who need their help have endured an underfunded system with profit-making at its core and where exploitation is rife.

“If the Prime Minister wants to put a national care service on the ballot at the next election, he needs to start laying the foundation stones now.

“That means funding the Fair Pay Agreement properly, not with the woefully inadequate £500 million which has been earmarked, and ensuring our services are run for public benefit, not private gain.

“Ministers must do the right thing and reverse plans to make migrant workers wait 15 years to qualify to settle in the UK, instead of the current five.

“It’s also time for a sector-wide visa sponsorship scheme in the social care sector to deal with the exploitation of staff.”

Editorial: / 29 July 2026 We can’t fix social care without expelling the profiteers 29 July 2026 Society / 29 July 2026 Burnham pledges to finally end the social care crisis 29 July 2026 Politics / 27 July 2026 National care service now! 27 July 2026 Burnham urged to create publicly-provided national care service before the end of the parliament, and to keep his promise to ditch neoliberalism

Labour leadership / 21 July 2026 No honeymoon for Burnham: Unison will hold his feet to the fire 21 July 2026 Unison national officer CLARE WILLIAMS spoke to the Morning Star about the union’s priority campaigns and why they will not let up just because the Prime Minister has changed