Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has warned that a planned overhaul of council tax could shift a greater financial burden onto homeowners in southern England, as the Prime Minister defends the reform on the grounds of tackling "unfairness" in the current system. The intervention adds to growing political tension around the government's proposed changes, with critics, including Reform UK, framing elements of the wider social care funding plan as effectively a new "death tax", intensifying scrutiny of Number 10's tax and funding strategy ahead of any formal announcement.

The dispute centres on how council tax bands, which are based on outdated property valuations, might be revised or replaced, potentially raising bills for owners of higher-value homes concentrated in the South while easing them elsewhere. Reform UK has separately raised alarm over an estimated £18 billion cost linked to social care funding proposals, which opponents have branded a "death tax", compounding pressure on the Prime Minister as he seeks to justify the reforms as a fairness measure rather than a tax grab.