Kemi Badenoch has written an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, urging him to rule out tax rises or extra borrowing to fund any overhaul of adult social care in England. The intervention comes ahead of an expected speech from Burnham this week, in which he is set to address long-neglected problems in how social care is organised and funded. Badenoch said the Conservatives were open to working with the Government, but only if two "core principles" were upheld.

In the letter, Badenoch called for any reform to be fair to those who have already saved for their own care, and insisted the necessary funding come from reduced spending rather than tax increases or borrowing that would burden future generations. She pointed to record tax burdens under Labour and warned the government is on course to borrow over a quarter of a trillion pounds more than previously planned. Social care, unlike NHS treatment, is not free at the point of use, and people with savings above £23,250 receive no council help with costs. Burnham previously attempted care reform as health secretary in 2010, an effort derailed by Conservative "death tax" attacks, and Badenoch acknowledged that building lasting consensus on the issue has historically proved difficult.