The biggest casualty of Brexit has nothing to do with Brussels.
It is the scandal of millions of old, vulnerable and young people deprived of adequate social care.
Since the Tories came to power, £7billion has been cut from budgets. They pledge reform for a system they admit is in crisis, but they’ve done nothing.
A Government Green Paper just to talk about change is years late. Theresa May promised this week: “I will be bringing proposals”, but when, Prime Minister, when?
When will you stop hiding behind Brexit ?
Damian Green, her short-lived deputy PM, suggests a £2.5billion scheme to give everyone free basic care where they live or in a home.
It would be paid for by an extra 1 per cent on national insurance for the over-50s or in part by a raid on winter fuel allowances for better-off pensioners.
Labour promises to spend an extra £1billion a year to improve support for older people and those with dementia. Half would go on 50,000 care packages, with £350million for training staff and allowances for full-time family carers.
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There is merit in both ideas, but the imperative is to stop the talking and bloody well get on with it. This challenge is bigger than tribal politics.
We need cross-party agreement at Westminster to sort out the gravest threat to the welfare state since its inception.
Meanwhile, care home operator Four Seasons, coping with 17,000 residents, went bust this week, blaming rising costs and massive cuts in council spending.
And MPs warn that children’s services are “at breaking point” because of budget cuts of 29% since 2010. The entire system is spiralling out of control.
The Government needs no go-ahead from Brussels to properly fund social care. Ministerial obsession with Brexit is merely a fig leaf to cover their criminal laziness, incompetence and “don’t care” attitude to those most in need.
Labour has championed a National Care Service, funded and run like the NHS. That’s where politicians should be looking.
