Whatever happens with the leadership, Labour must tackle the issue of social care head-on | Heather Stewart
The issue of social care in the UK has been repeatedly avoided by political leaders due to difficult financial trade-offs and voter resistance to new taxes. Past attempts by both Labour and Conservative governments to reform funding have been met with criticism and ultimately failed. With an ageing population and a strained care system, experts urge the current Labour government to act decisively despite political risks.
- ▪A 2010 Labour plan to fund social care through estate charges was labeled a 'death tax' by the Conservatives and subsequently abandoned.
- ▪Theresa May's 2017 proposal to defer care costs until after death was widely criticized as a 'dementia tax' and contributed to the Conservatives' poor election performance.
- ▪Boris Johnson introduced a health and social care levy, but it was scrapped by Liz Truss, and Labour later shelved plans for a cap on care fees due to cost concerns.
- ▪Labour has made progress on care workers' pay through a statutory negotiating body but has not addressed broader systemic funding issues.
- ▪The Fabian Society urges the government to stop delaying and establish a national care service aligned with the NHS, warning against waiting for cross-party consensus.
- ▪Families continue to sell homes to pay for care, and the care sector remains underfunded despite growing demand.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — Politics |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/17/leadership-labour-must-tackle-issue-social-care-head-on |
| Publication time | Sun, 17 May 2026 11:52:06 GMT |
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A 2010 plan drawn up by the then health secretary, Andy Burnham, to levy a charge on estates to pay for universal social care was called a ‘death tax’ by the Tories. Photograph: Neil Harrison/PAView image in fullscreenA 2010 plan drawn up by the then health secretary, Andy Burnham, to levy a charge on estates to pay for universal social care was called a ‘death tax’ by the Tories. Photograph: Neil Harrison/PAEconomics viewpointSocial careWhatever happens with the leadership, Labour must tackle the issue of social care head-onHeather StewartThe challenge of how to look after an ageing population has been ducked by politicians for too longSun 17 May 2026 07.52 EDTLast modified on Sun 17 May 2026 07.53 EDTShareIf a new Labour leader wants to underline their determination to wrestle with…
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