Burnham tells Starmer Labour must seize moment
ANDY BURNHAM has told Sir Keir Starmer he must set out an alternative to the Government’s social care plans, as he warned Labour could miss its “biggest opportunity for some time” to take on Boris Johnson.
Mr Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, who is widely tipped to be the next Labour leader, said Sir Keir should “not leave it too long” before presenting his plans for social care and should “catch the wave” of anger directed at the Prime Minister’s National Insurance rise.
His comments come as Sir Keir prepares to address the Labour conference in Brighton on Sept 29, while Tories and hard-left backbenchers accuse the Labour leader of failing to take a stance on the most pressing political issues.
Calling on Sir Keir to make a move on social care, Mr Burnham wrote: “As we get ready to gather in Brighton, the political tide might just be turning in Labour’s favour. But we’ve got to be ready to catch the wave.”
Labour MPS interpreted the explicit criticism of the party leadership as yet more evidence Mr Burnham is planning a bid to replace Sir Keir.
Mr Burnham proposed a “National Care Service”, a policy featured in the last Labour manifesto. It would involve
‘The political tide might just be turning in Labour’s favour. But we’ve got to be ready to catch the wave’
more public spending, financed by a 10 per cent additional inheritance tax. The Daily Telegraph understands the policy has been rejected by Sir Keir’s team in favour of a solution that focuses on home care, while reorganising the relationship between social care and NHS.
“Boris’s flagship policy spectacularly fails the intergenerational fairness test,” Mr Burnham wrote in the Evening Standard. “And that opens up the biggest opportunity Labour has had for some time to present a plan for a better, fairer country. My advice to my party would be not to leave it too long before presenting one.”
Last night, Sir Keir came closer to endorsing a new tax on wealth, dividends and landlords to pay for an alternative social care plan, but gave little detail. No official announcement on social care will be made for some time, and could come after a separate review of Labour’s policy, expected next year.
Sir Keir’s spokesman has said the announcement will come before the next election and would focus on fair levels of taxation on income, but would not give further details.
In an interview with Sky News yesterday, Sir Keir said he was looking at the various options for “a wealth tax in the broadest sense of the word”. “I would say that those with the broadest shoulders should pay,” he said.