‘Dementia tax’ axed as Queen’s Speech delayed

CONTROVERSIAL Tory plans to reform social care are to be axed as part of a delayed Queen’s Speech, David Davis indicated yesterday.

Conservative MPs have urged ministers to scrap the manifesto proposals for a ‘dementia tax’, which are blamed for wrecking Theresa May’s campaign.

Mr Davis yesterday acknowledged that the decision to include the social care shake-up in the manifesto was the point at which the campaign ‘went wrong’. In the strongest indication that the plans will be abandoned, the Brexit Secretary added: ‘The social care policy was a mistake.’

It also involved scrapping the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners – a policy which is opposed by the Democratic Unionist Party, whose support Mrs May needs to pass her Queen’s Speech.

A Tory source last night confirmed that the policy was ‘dead’ in its current form, although work will continue on proposals to tackle the social care crisis.

Mrs May also told anxious Tory MPs she will review a planned shake-up of school funding after complaints that voters raised the issue repeatedly during the campaign.

She told a meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee last night that Education Secretary Justine Greening had been given a remit to ‘look again’ at the issue.

The changes came as Downing Street warned the Queen’s Speech may have to be delayed due to protracted talks with the DUP. Number 10 refused to say whether the speech, where Her Majesty will set out the Government’s programme, would go ahead as planned on Monday next week.

Any delay is likely to last only a few days. But it would embarrass ministers and could inconvenience the Queen, who is due to be at Royal Ascot for much of next week.

Mrs May will meet DUP leader Arlene Foster in Downing Street today in a bid to agree the deal. But sources said it could take another day or two to finalise, putting Monday’s Queen’s Speech in jeopardy.

Mrs May needs the support of the DUP’s ten MPs after falling short in last week’s election. She confirmed to MPs last night there will be no formal coalition with the DUP. Instead she will try to strike a ‘confidence and supply’ deal in which the DUP supports the Government on key votes such as the Queen’s Speech and Budget.

If the Queen’s Speech were to fail it could trigger another election or even allow Jeremy Corbyn to try to form a government.

This means every line must be approved by the DUP. Its MPs are also set to demand the scrapping of Tory plans to end the pensions triple lock. Other proposals expected to be dropped include Mrs May’s plans for a new generation of grammar schools and a vote on ending the fox hunting ban.

Labour said it was drawing up its own Queen’s Speech to put before parliament if Mrs May fails to win approval for hers. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry claimed: ‘If an election was called today, we would win.’

‘If an election was called today, we would win’