Andy Burnham is poised to announce significant reforms to the social care system this Wednesday, aiming to address the pressing challenges facing the sector. The Labour leader is expected to begin the day with a visit to a care home in London, accompanied by Baroness Louise Casey, who is currently leading a comprehensive review of social care in England.
Central to the discussion is the question of funding. Various proposals have emerged, including one from Re:State, a public services think tank where Mr Burnham previously served as an adviser. This proposal suggests introducing mandatory contributions into a national social care fund, with employees earning £80,000 contributing an additional £1,327 annually.
Reflecting on his past advocacy, Mr Burnham highlighted the impact of social care through a personal lens. Two years ago, during his campaign for re-election as Greater Manchester mayor, he spoke candidly about his father’s battle with Alzheimer’s and the broader social care crisis stating:
“There’s only one answer: the political parties have to show courage on this issue and fix social care properly. And I put forward a plan for that 14 years ago.”
Today, Mr Burnham held a cross-party meeting on social care, emphasising the need for unity and cooperation among political leaders. Earlier this week in Portsmouth, he reiterated his commitment to bipartisan problem-solving, noting recent positive engagement from key figures such as Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey. He remarked:
“It was only a week ago today that I stood outside Downing Street and said I wanted to build a different way of doing politics – more problem-solving, less point-scoring.”
He urged that while many claim ground on the issue, no single party holds the advantage as all have contributed to the current challenges over decades. Mr Burnham’s announcement marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate over sustainable funding and reform of social care in England.