Burnham pledges universal, NHS-style social care service before next election

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to put plans for a universal, NHS-style social care service in Labour’s manifesto for the next general election. The proposed service would be free at the point of use for everyone in England. Burnham said he was prepared to spend political capital on reforming a system he described as broken, although he did not provide a detailed funding model.

He said the service would be funded by “everybody”, signalling that a tax increase could be considered. Burnham said he would take time to determine how the plan could be financed fairly and without placing additional pressure on public finances. The prime minister rejected a suggestion that the policy could cost £18bn a year, saying the figure was too high.

He acknowledged, however, that nationwide reform would be expensive and complicated to implement. Burnham said putting the proposal before voters in a manifesto could reduce the risk of political opposition undermining it. He referred to previous attacks involving so-called “death taxes” as a reason for seeking an electoral mandate.

His pledge came as Labour’s annual conference began in Liverpool, with the party seeking to present solutions to long-term problems despite difficult economic conditions. Burnham said fiscal stability would be crucial before the government could undertake larger reforms. He said the government was willing to cut spending to balance the books and suggested that savings could come from longer-term approaches to rough sleeping and youth unemployment.

He also said Chancellor John Healey would be prudent in managing the economy. Other issues discussed at the conference included possible future relations with the European Union and a proposed third runway at Heathrow. Burnham said the airport expansion was principally a matter for London and declined to say whether he supported it.