Andy Burnham, newly installed as Labour leader, has signalled he is prepared to "expend a lot of political capital" on introducing a so-called death tax to fund social care in England, prompting warnings from critics about the plan. The proposal reflects Burnham's long-standing commitment to overhauling social care funding, an issue he has championed for years, but reviving the idea now that he leads the party raises the political stakes considerably.

Details of the specific mechanics of the levy were not fully set out, but the plan is understood to involve some form of charge on estates after death to help pay for the growing cost of adult social care. Burnham's elevation to the Labour leadership has already drawn attention for a broader shift leftward in his rhetoric, and the social care funding pledge is being framed as one of the defining early tests of his leadership.