Andy Burnham has called for social carers to become "the best-paid people in society, not the worst," as he pledged to overhaul England's social care system. Speaking from a care home in Enfield, north London, where his own father is currently receiving care, the prime minister said the current system was as unfair as American healthcare, forcing many families to deplete their pensions and savings while care workers endure "poverty pay." He accused successive governments of a "major dereliction of public duty" by prioritising political point-scoring over fixing the crisis.

Burnham announced he would hold cross-party talks to seek a solution, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats accepting his invitation to collaborate, while Nigel Farage criticised him for excluding Reform UK. He has asked Baroness Louise Casey, who leads the government's social care commission, to bring forward her review by a year, with backing from health secretary Yvette Cooper and housing secretary Angela Rayner. Burnham also wants care workers' pay, training and job security aligned with NHS standards, with clearer progression routes between the two sectors, though he confirmed he would stick to Labour's manifesto commitments on tax.