MP warns prime minister his social care delays risk reform being ‘kiboshed’ at next general election

The prime minister has been warned by a senior MP that his decision to delay reform of adult social care in England risks Labour’s plans being “kiboshed” at the next general election.

Sir Keir Starmer was appearing in front of the Commons liaison committee* on Tuesday when he was questioned about the delay by Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat chair of the Commons health and social care committee.

Disabled campaigners reacted with despair and exasperation in January when the government announced it was setting up a commission to examine the future of social care, under former civil servant Baroness [Louise] Casey.

Although the first phase of the new commission will report next year, the second phase, with recommendations for longer-term reform, will not be completed until 2028.

Moran (pictured) told Sir Keir: “When we’ve had social care reforms be kiboshed in the past, it has been during election campaigns.

“Surely the way to solve this would be to get this done and dusted during this parliament, not kick it into the long grass so that it can then be kiboshed at the next election?”

The prime minister said he understood her frustration at previous delays but the government needed to “take time to get it right” and ensure there was cross-party support for its plans.

He said it had already taken some initial steps, including a fair pay agreement for adult social care workers and measures to support carers.

And he confirmed that the government planned to take further steps after Baroness Casey published her first report next year.

He told the committee that the government had announced £3.7 billion additional funding for local authorities with social care responsibilities in 2025-26, including an £880 million increase in the social care grant.

But Moran told him that that £880 million would be swallowed up by the need for care providers to meet the increases in national insurance, announced at last year’s budget, so the extra funding “isn’t actually going to deliver anything new, it’s just going to pay you”.

She said: “The issue here is that we’re trying to shift a dial and the money that you are talking about is always welcome, but it’s barely shifting that dial.

“Do you recognize that there is a cost to not reforming the system as well, both in human costs, but also to getting people in work and keeping them in work?”

Sir Keir replied: “Yes. That’s why I want to reform the system.”

But Moran said the government had “barely looked at” the adult social care crisis from that perspective, which her committee is examining through an inquiry on the “cost of inaction” on adult social care reform.

She said: “So perhaps an undertaking from you to look at it through that lens would help the Treasury to see what you and I clearly both see, which is that social care is worth investing in.”

The prime minister replied: “I’ve always approached this on the basis that the health service and social care are important for physical and mental health and the support people need throughout their lives, but they’re also hugely important to the economy.”

*The liaison committee is made up of the chairs of Commons committees and usually questions the prime minister three times a year

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