Kemi Badenoch has written to the prime minister, Andy Burnham, demanding he rule out any tax rises or increased borrowing to pay for social care reform – or risk losing Conservative support. In a letter sent on Sunday, the Tory leader offered to work with the government but only if it adhered to two “core principles”: fairness to those who have saved for their care, and funding through spending cuts rather than new taxes or debt.
Burnham is expected to make a major speech on adult social care this week, part of what a No 10 source described as a plan to “run towards problems that have been neglected”. The issue has plagued successive governments: Boris Johnson pledged to “fix the crisis in social care once and for all” in 2019, and Sir Keir Starmer scrapped an £86,000 cap on personal care costs in July 2024.
“Badenoch offers to work with PM on social care but demands he rule out tax rises or borrowing to fund reform.”
In her letter, Badenoch warned that the tax burden was already at a record high under Labour, with borrowing set to rise by “over a quarter of a trillion pounds” this parliament. “With businesses closing or relocating, youth unemployment higher than in the eurozone, and the cost of living already causing real hardship for many people, the last thing Britain needs is further tax increases to pay for social care,” she wrote.
Unlike NHS care, social care in England is not free at the point of use. People with savings above £23,250 must fund their own care, sometimes forcing them to sell their homes. Burnham first proposed a universal system in 2009 as health secretary, but the plans were derailed by Tory claims of a “death tax”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who has campaigned for reform, said on Saturday: “This has to be the start of a real effort to end the social care catastrophe.” With Burnham yet to respond publicly, the question remains whether his government can break a cycle of failed promises – and whether Badenoch’s conditions will prove a dealbreaker or a starting point for cross-party talks.
