Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor and Labour candidate in the Makerfield byelection, has declared he would begin transforming the broken social care system this year if he became prime minister. He accused Westminster of 'flinching away' from tackling difficult policy problems.
A Radical Vision for Social Care
Burnham, who first attempted to reform social care as Labour's health secretary in 2009, emphasized the urgent need to address the crisis. His previous plans included an estate levy for universal care, while more recently he has proposed a progressive 'care levy' to replace inheritance tax and fund a national care service. 'It is urgent, the need to fix social care, and I personally would look at all of the kind of implications of that in relation to inheritance tax and care charges and everything. I wouldn't flinch from it,' he said.
He suggested advancing the Casey review, originally scheduled for 2028, to be published by the end of 2026, focusing on quickly implementable measures.
On the Campaign Trail in Makerfield
In an interview with the Guardian while canvassing in Makerfield, where he faces a challenge from Reform UK, Burnham outlined several key positions:
- Labour should be a broad church with more left-wing government ministers, but Jeremy Corbyn should not be allowed back into the party.
- There would be no snap election if he replaced Keir Starmer, but he defended himself against criticism over a shadow leadership campaign.
- He clarified his comments about politicians being 'in hock' to bond markets, arguing they had been misinterpreted.
- He insisted he would stick to Rachel Reeves's fiscal rules but argued they allow productive public investment.
- He opposed rerunning the Brexit referendum but expressed a desire for the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime.
- He praised Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for tackling immigration issues.
Addressing Immigration and Factionalism
Immigration is a frequent topic on the doorstep in Makerfield. Burnham supported Mahmood's controversial changes, saying, 'I applaud the home secretary for the way in which she's faced up to some of the issues that need to be gripped.' He stressed the need for 'balance' with safe routes for refugees and a path to work for those already in the UK.
On factionalism, Burnham called for a unified Labour Party, criticizing the stripping of the whip from MPs who voted against party policy. 'I've always been a Labour politician that's about unifying people, trying to be positive and working together. That's my approach to politics. I think politics needs less division and less factionalism these days,' he said.
Future Leadership and Byelection Focus
Burnham declined to discuss a change in leadership, stating his focus is entirely on winning the byelection. 'People do want to get ahead of things, but I'm not ahead of things. Sometimes it's weird, because I get asked about the speculation about general elections, appointments to cabinet... The weird thing for me is my headspace is nowhere near where they are. I'm reading this stuff, my head is 100% on this byelection,' he said.
He ruled out a snap election if he became prime minister, and indicated he would continue as Greater Manchester mayor if he loses the byelection. He also suggested he would like to continue working with Josh Simons, the outgoing MP for Makerfield.
On Brexit and International Issues
Burnham dismissed suggestions that Wes Streeting was using his EU stance as a campaign tactic. 'I've got a really clear position. Some people call it a U-turn. It isn't. I remain of the view I'd like to see us rejoin in my lifetime. That doesn't mean you rerun the referendum now,' he said.
He declined to label the situation in Gaza as genocide, but expressed concerns about the destruction and called for investigation and accountability. He also defended Keir Starmer's approach to Donald Trump, emphasizing the importance of a good relationship with the US without compromising on disagreements.
