Many across the political spectrum agree the system needs fixing – but there is no consensus on how to fund change The prime minister, Andy Burnham, has said the adult social care system in England is broken and needs fixing. This is a view commonly shared by policymakers across the political spectrum, though there are sharper differences on how to pay for reform to what is widely seen as an outdated, fragile system held together by “sticking plasters and glue” and propped up by an army of unpaid carers. Burnham previously headed an earlier unsuccessful legislative attempt to reform English adult social care while secretary of state for health in 2010 (it was brought low by Tory claims it would be funded through a “death tax”). He acknowledges it could be a long and costly process but has said he won’t flinch from big policy decisions and is prepared to “expend a lot of political capital” on his ambitions. Continue reading...