Andy Burnham is spearheading cross-party talks to address England’s adult social care crisis, vowing to dedicate all his efforts to reforming a system he says governments have avoided for decades due to its perceived complexity and risk. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats accepted the Prime Minister’s invitation to collaborate, though Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will be replaced by shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew, who insisted on no new tax rises or borrowing. Reform UK’s Nigel Farage criticised his party’s exclusion, calling it “uniparty in action,” while the Green Party’s Zack Polanski welcomed the dialogue.
Burnham argues the NHS will collapse without reform and stresses the need for problem-solving over political point-scoring. He draws on personal experience, as his father lives with Alzheimer’s in a care home, and decries a system that forces people to lose homes and savings. Alongside Louise Casey, who is leading a social care commission, Burnham will visit a care home to launch a “Big Conversation on Care”—a public consultation on what the system should look like, who pays, and the state’s role. Casey, noting 22 failed reform attempts since 1997, insists fixing care requires honest dialogue about building something better, not just more money.
The call for reform is underscored by stark demographic projections—26% of England’s population will be aged 65+ by 2065—and broad stakeholder support. Age UK and The King’s Fund warn that funding debates will be thorny and that the public misunderstands care as free, while the Health Foundation calls for sustained political will. The Royal College of Nursing backs a nurse-led model. Burnham, who previously proposed a levy on estates, emphasises that the choice is between continuing to pass the problem on or facing it together to restore dignity and hope. Lady Casey’s final report is due by 2028, but may come sooner.