Andy Burnham has invited Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders to a Wednesday meeting and will use a speech to press for cross-party solutions to England's social care crisis. He will accelerate the independent Casey Commission and launch a public consultation; the commission's full report is due in 2028. Kemi Badenoch is sending Stuart Andrew while Sir Ed Davey will join remotely; Reform UK and the Green Party were not invited. Funding options — including tax rises or extra borrowing — remain contested, and families and care providers warn of growing financial pressure.
Burnham Seeks Cross-Party Pact on Social Care as He Speeds Up Independent Review
[EPA]
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has invited the leaders of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats to talks on reforming adult social care in England, scheduling the meeting for Wednesday alongside a speech that will stress the need for cross-party common ground.
Burnham asked Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey to attend. Sir Ed said he will join remotely because he is with family in France and cares for a disabled son who needs 24/7 support; Badenoch is not attending and is sending Shadow Health Secretary Stuart Andrew. A Conservative source criticised the short notice, suggesting the invitation risks being 'almost like it’s only being done for show.' Burnham did not invite the leaders of Reform UK or the Green Party.
'Nowhere is that more urgent than social care. For decades, governments have kicked this issue down the road because they've seen it as too risky, too difficult, and too complicated,' Burnham said, urging 'problem-solving, not point-scoring.'
In his address, Burnham warned the NHS could 'collapse' without social care reform and pledged to put 'whatever political capital' he has into fixing the system, though he did not set a timeline for legislation. He is not expected to unveil detailed plans on Wednesday. Instead, he will announce that he is accelerating the work of the independent Casey Commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, and will launch a public consultation to gather views from families, providers and councils. The commission's full report is due in 2028.
Burnham is expected to announce he is speeding up the Casey Commission [PA Media]
Funding Dispute and Political Responses
Funding remains the core dispute. Badenoch wrote to the prime minister urging him to rule out tax rises or extra borrowing to pay for reforms. A Conservative spokesman said Stuart Andrew will attend on Badenoch's behalf and stressed any changes must be backed by a clear, fully costed plan that delivers better care for the public and value for taxpayers.
Sir Ed Davey has called the current system 'broken' and argued family carers should be 'front and centre' of reform because most care is provided at home. He signalled pragmatism, saying the Liberal Democrats would support proposals both Labour and the Conservatives could accept — even if they were not his party's first choice — while noting there have been 22 failed attempts to reform social care since 1997.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticised the snub to his party as exclusionary, while Green leader Zack Polanski welcomed the outreach but urged wider inclusion. Providers and campaigners have warned that delay risks further pressure on hospitals and families.
Richard Hardy moved into a care home two and a half years ago and is worried about how long savings will last [BBC]
What Adult Social Care Means For Families
Adult social care helps people live independently, including support at home. Unlike the NHS, social care is not free at the point of use: in England and Northern Ireland, people with savings above £23,250 are generally not eligible for local authority help with care costs, while Scotland and Wales operate different rules.
The programme highlighted a case study: Richard Hardy, who has lived at Broadway Lodge Residential Home in York for two and a half years. He pays around £1,100 a week. His wife, Diane, said she has been 'doing a lot of money juggling' and fears being forced to sell the family home to cover future costs. Broadway Lodge owner Faizal Mohamudbaccus said homes will not evict residents for lack of funds but urged local authorities to step in faster when people run out of money. He added that the system is hampered by a shortage of social workers, insufficient planning and weak processes for transferring residents onto local authority support.
Next steps: Burnham's announcement will launch a consultation alongside the accelerated Casey Commission timetable. If cross-party agreement can be reached, ministers and opposition negotiators may begin drafting a more detailed, costed plan — but major disagreements over funding and timing remain.
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