I was there for Andy Burnham’s first big speech โ here’s the 1 thing he didn’t say | Politics | News
Andy Burnham chose to deliver his first big speech since becoming Prime Minister on a subject close to his heart โ social care. The Prime Minister knows first-hand the painful and gruelling impact of having to get care for a loved one, as his father suffers from Alzheimerโs.
He also used his short time as health secretary under Gordon Brown in 2009 to push for a rethink of how social care is done. So it wasnโt surprising that he used a care home in north London to launch a three-pronged assault to kick-start a much-needed change.
Burnham, speaking without notes, initially blamed โmy generation of politiciansโ for failing 22 times over the past 27 years to properly grip an ever-worsening crisis.
But then he went on to attack the media for hyperbolic headlines as he pleaded for everyone to help sort the issue.
He was right in the first instance, not in the second.
Politicians, of all parties, have failed for decades to improve our social care service and, as Burnham said, this is shameful.
He must get a grip on cross-party talks with the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives to ensure genuine consensus moving forward.
Should this include Nigel Farageโs Reform UK and Zack Polanskiโs Greens? Well, he did say that to sort out the problem once and for all, โeveryoneโ must do their bit.
His first point was one of pace. He has fast-tracked a review by Baroness Casey, insisting it must now be complete within one year.
That will be welcomed by campaigners and charities who have been frustrated at the slow pace of change.
Burnham, who was joined by his Health Secretary, Yvette Cooper, and Angela Rayner, the Housing Secretary, also said he wanted to put care workers at the heart of his plans.
But the big question of how he is going to pay for such a major overhaul still remains.
And fingers still keep being pointed at at 10% care levy or โdeath taxโ as critics call it.
The Prime Minister said he will still stick to Labourโs manifesto on taxes and said he will have to look at other ways of paying for it.
