I think Reform UK is miffed that Farage was not invited by Burham to his cross party leader social care initial debate. But the Reform UK leader is not actually an MP at the moment- his choice!- and neither does the party have a health spokesperson dealing with such matters.
At a press conference Robert Jenrick called this morning, the Reform UK Treasury spokesperson, he claimed his party was serious about social care reform. He also made no announcement that Reform UK also wants to look at social care reform or seeks to consider ways to fund it- ie how Burham is seeking to do, on a cross party basis.
Asked if not having a health spokesperson meant the party did not take this issue seriously, Jenrick replied: “No, we’re holding this press conference today. Have other opposition parties held a press conference dedicated to social care and this response? I haven’t seen them. Reform is currently running 30 local authorities across the country which have responsibility for social care, more than any of the other political parties.
We are absolutely at the coalface of this, trying to do our utmost to support people in difficult times. Don’t tell us we don’t care about this issue. We really do.
What we don’t want to see is hardworking Brits having to pick up the price of that for losing their home, losing their nest egg, not being able to hand that on to their children and their grandchildren. That’s the point that we’re making today".
What is Reform actually doing and achieving for Social Care in the LAs they run- do any local posters know? I think Jenrick has not grasped the current situation, ie those people receiving social care in those Reform LAs are currently already paying their care home fees between £1,500 and £2,000 a week on average if they have assets above £23,250! They are already loosing their nest egg so not able to hand that over to their children and grandchildren if paying care home costs
What Jenrick did not say in his press conference was what Reform UK proposes to do about the social care. reform. Nothing on the Reform UK website either. No Reform UK Health spokesman either to attend cross party talks. Farage as Reform UK leader, similarly is totally silent on the social care reform challenge.
At least Burnham has pledged to confront this complex and challenging issue and has initiated cross party talks. If AB achieves this policy aspiration alone he would have achieved more than any PM over the past 30 years or more.
In comparison Jenrick calls a press conference merely to tell us Reform UK is serious about social care because it runs LAs that deliver social care. Further that the other parties have not called a press conference today as he has to tell us they are serious about social care they deliver in LAs that they may be running. 🤷♀️
