Senior Conservative Jeremy Wright says reform of social care ‘can’t wait’
Reform of social care “can’t wait”, a Conservative former cabinet minister has warned.
Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth and Southam) said Boris Johnson’s administration “promised to fix social care”, adding “all of us including the Government have to be braver than we have been and we have to be more willing to recognise the urgency of the situation”.
Mr Wright (pictured) noted any solution “will be very complicated and elements of it are likely to be very unpopular”.
He said: “It’s also likely to require both more of the taxpayer and more of individuals to save for their own care when they can afford to do so.”
Intervening in the Commons Queen’s Speech debate, Labour’s Toby Perkins (Chesterfield) said the “starting point” for any discussion ought to be Mr Johnson’s plan.
He said: “It is the case that the Prime Minister stood on the steps of Downing Street and told us that he had a plan, that he would be bringing in front of us if he was elected.
“Now surely if we’re going to start a debate, the starting point ought to be that plan.
“Why don’t we all see this plan, if indeed it exists and then we can discuss the bits that we all agree on.”
Mr Wright responded: “I think he’s right that all of us including the Government have to be braver than we have been and we have to be more willing to recognise the urgency of the situation. I think he’s right, that this reform can’t wait.”
He said: “Our emergence from the Covid-19 crisis demonstrates just both the need for social care reform, but also the political opportunity for it…
“The challenge facing social care is also a crisis, just unfolding at slower speed and it’s time surely to ask the electorate to support the right response to that crisis too.”
He went on: “This is a Government that has, as (Mr Perkins) has reminded us, promised to fix social care and that has a substantial parliamentary majority there to be used surely to keep our promises, so let’s get on with it.”
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