Reform’s Robert Jenrick has been fuming about a so-called “death tax” from Labour, despite the fact there is no evidence that this policy will be introduced.
This week, Andy Burnham made a speech about social care reform in England and held cross-party talks with the Lib Dem leader Ed Davey and the Conservative shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew about the matter.
Speaking on Wednesday, the prime minister said “difficult decisions” would need to be made to fund social care reform and did not rule out tax rises.
This was followed by reports in the Telegraph and Daily Mail about how Burnham has previously been in favour of a flat 10% tax on everyone’s inheritance, which has been dubbed a “death tax” in the past.
However, neither Burnham nor any of his cabinet have said anything about whether a “death tax” would be implemented this time round for social care reform.
This hasn’t stopped Robert Jenrick and Reform raging about it though.
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At a press conference on Thursday, the Newark MP spoke of people getting a “knock on the door by the taxman” after a relative dies.
He said Reform will “fight this tax because it is unfair, impractical and cruel.”
Reform went as far as to call for a general election over the non-existent “death tax”, writing in a post on X: “The British people did not vote for the death tax. We need a general election now.”
The Guardian’s Jessica Elgot summed up the farcical nature of Jenrick’s rage when she wrote on X: “Jenrick tells the Reform UK press conference this morning an official will come to your dying mother’s bedroom to tot up her jewellery, brooches and coats under Andy Burnham’s new ‘death tax’ which – let’s remember – doesn’t actually exist.”
Meanwhile, her Guardian colleague Pippa Crerar quoted Andy Burnham’s request this week for a “factual debate” on the matter of social care.
A review of social care in England by Baroness Casey will be published next summer, with Burnham saying this should look into how a national care service could be paid for.