One care home resident today summed up the turbulent nature of British politics as they expressed surprise at Andy Burnham introducing himself as the Prime Minister.
‘What, a new one? They keep changing every 5 minutes,’ he responded to Mr Burnham, after initially mistaking the Labour leader for a local candidate.
The interaction took place during Mr Burnham’s visit to a care home managed by Jewish Care in Golders Green, north London, on Wednesday.
It echoes the now famous exclamation of Brenda from Bristol on being told a snap general election had been called in April 2017. ‘You’re joking – not another one!’, she said in a TV clip that swiftly went viral on social media.
Mr Burnham’s visit to the north London care home came as he set out his plans to reform the social care system, with the view to creating a ‘national care service’.
When introduced to one resident, the PM was asked: ‘And you are the local candidate are you?’. Mr Burnham replied: ‘I was a local candidate, I had a by-election a few weeks ago. I’m now the Prime Minister.’
The care home resident responded: ‘What, a new one? They keep changing every five minutes.’ ‘I know, I know, I know,’ a laughing Mr Burnham said in agreement.
Mr Burnham is Britain’s seventh PM in a decade after the ousting of Keir Starmer.
One care home resident summed up the turbulent nature of British politics as they expressed surprise at Andy Burnham introducing himself as the Prime Minister
As he answered questions from reporters following a speech on his social care plans on Wednesday, Mr Burnham reiterated that he would not be calling a snap general election himself.
This is despite him having previously demanded the Tories do exactly that when they changed leaders while in power.
Mr Burnham said that social care reform needed to be addressed before the country next goes to the polls, as he announced he is accelerating Louise Casey’s review of social care so it will report next year.
He said: ‘If I look back to that experience that I had as health secretary in the 2005 to 2010 Parliament, we probably left the reform too late in that Parliament, and it got too close to a general election.
‘Learning from that, that’s one of the reasons why I’m bringing forward Louise’s review, because I think it’s better to do it sooner and further away from an election, and that answers another story for the media, doesn’t it?
‘That there’s no election on the horizon. I think it’s best to deal with it early and to listen.’
Mr Burnham also signalled tax rises are to come as he warned of ‘difficult decisions’ on social care funding.
The build-up to the PM’s speech had been dominated by questions over whether he would seek to impose an £18billion ‘death tax’ to pay for his plans, through a shake-up of inheritance levies.
It has also been reported that officials have drawn up alternative plans for a new tax on income to fund social care.
Asked about the prospect of tax rises, Mr Burnham insisted more could be done initially from within existing budgets – although he warned of ‘difficult decisions’ later on.
‘I think more is possible from within existing resources, and the things that I’ve talked about today, particularly around the workforce, will be fully funded,’ the PM said, when asked after his speech if he could transform social care without raising taxes.
‘So I think, firstly, you have to do more with what you’ve got. But I think Louise (Casey) indicated some of what we would want to do in the fullest sense will require difficult, difficult decisions.
‘But we will be honest with people about those. We will put them before the country at the right time, and we will hopefully proceed with people’s consent.’
Mr Burnham’s visit to the north London care home came as he set out his plans to reform the social care system, with the view to creating a ‘national care service’
The PM announced he is accelerating Louise Casey’s review of social care so it will report next year
Mr Burnham’s remarks appeared to be an attempt to punt questions about tax rises to fund social care reforms until nearer the next general election, which he insisted is not ‘on the horizon’.
He insisted he would stick to Labour’s existing manifesto commitments on not hiking income tax, National Insurance or VAT in this Parliament.
The PM also suggested that savings from the NHS from resolving the social care crisis could help fund a reformed system.
He said it costs the NHS around £2.5billion a year to have people kept in hospital even though they are medically fit to leave because there is no suitable care available in the community.
He also warned the lack of a ‘preventative front-end social care service’ stopping people from going into hospital in the first place was costing the NHS ‘several billion pounds a year’.
‘I think we owe it to the public before we talk about tax rises’ to ‘do more with what you’ve got’, the PM added.
In an ‘ideal world’ nobody would have to sell their home to pay for their care, Mr Burnham said.
‘I think it’s a really awful process for those who live through it, the whole thing of children taking power of attorney, and then dealing with parents’ finances,’ he added.
‘I think the whole thing is horrendous for those who live though it, and they see everything that their parents have worked for just whittled away in front of them, paying for care that often isn’t good enough care in terms of what you would want for your mum and dad.
‘I think the system isn’t right, and in an ideal world, no I wouldn’t want to see that.’
You must be logged in to post a comment Login