Andy Burnham to host cross-party talks on social care – but neither Kemi Badenoch nor Ed Davey can attend after ‘being given just 18 hours’ notice’ – while Nigel Farage is snubbed
Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, is set to host cross-party talks on reforming social care, but the effort has been undermined by scheduling problems and a deliberate exclusion. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey are both unable to attend after reportedly being given only 18 hours' notice of the meeting, raising questions about how seriously the talks have been organised and how genuinely cross-party they are. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, meanwhile, was not invited at all, a decision likely to fuel further criticism that the process is being managed to sideline his party.
Social care reform has long been a politically fraught issue in the UK, with successive governments struggling to secure lasting cross-party consensus on funding and provision. Burnham has positioned himself as a prominent voice on the topic, and convening leaders from rival parties was intended to signal a serious, collaborative approach. However, the short notice given to Badenoch and Davey, and the exclusion of Farage, threaten to overshadow the substance of the talks and invite accusations of political point-scoring rather than genuine consensus-building.
In short
- Burnham to host social care talks but key leaders can't attend
- Badenoch and Davey given just 18 hours' notice
- Farage excluded from the talks entirely
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The organisers might reasonably argue that preliminary working meetings on complex policy don't require full attendance from all party leaders, as such discussions benefit from focused technical engagement with willing participants. Farage's exclusion may reflect practical constraints or the position that Reform UK would be included in later consultation phases. Most importantly, the focus should remain on achieving practical progress on social care reform itself, which successive governments have struggled to accomplish.
The case against
Genuine cross-party consensus-building on major policy must meaningfully include all significant party voices from the outset. Giving Badenoch and Davey only 18 hours' notice appears to reflect either poor planning or deliberate scheduling to hinder attendance, whilst excluding Farage and Reform UK entirely sends a message of selective rather than truly collaborative engagement. If the talks are to carry credibility, particularly given social care's fraught history, all major parliamentary voices need genuine inclusion, not tokenistic later consultation.
Explained simply
Social care is the support provided to older people, disabled people, and others who need help with everyday tasks and living arrangements. It is one of the most persistent challenges facing the UK, with successive governments struggling to agree on how to sustainably fund and provide care.
Andy Burnham is the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester who has become a prominent voice calling for social care reform. He has organised talks involving leaders from different political parties to seek agreement on how to improve and reform social care.
Social care reform has been difficult historically because solutions need to last beyond any single government. This is why cross-party agreement is essential: previous attempts at reform have collapsed when incoming governments have not honoured their predecessors' commitments.
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