Andy Burnham Announces Social Care Reform Amid Cabinet Infighting

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a plan to reform adult social care in England based on NHS principles during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Burnham warned that the National Health Service would break without these reforms and promised to detail a funding model and timetable on Tuesday, noting that while all will contribute, payments may not come from general taxation.

These announcements followed a period of internal conflict within the Labour Party. Housing Secretary Angela Rayner publicly criticized Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's proposal to extend the permanent residency waiting period for migrants from five to 15 years, calling the plan "un-British." While Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Lord Glasman supported Mahmood, MP Tony Vaughan backed Rayner, citing potential damage to health and social care. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch used the strife to question the government's ability to manage immigration.

Burnham also introduced the "Your First Home" equity loan scheme for first-time buyers with deposits as low as 2.5 percent, to be included in October's Budget. Additionally, the government expanded a jobs guarantee program for young people with disabilities and health conditions, effective April 2027, and reduced the eligibility period for Empty Dwelling Management Orders from two years to six months to help councils reclaim empty homes. Meanwhile, former business secretary Peter Kyle criticized the Prime Minister for a lack of urgency regarding economic growth.