Commenting on Andy Burnham’s speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool Tuesday,
UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan said:
“Reform of social care is a national emergency, and the prime minister was right to put it at the heart of his speech.
“A national care service will make a huge difference in getting the country back on its feet.
“Fixing the system starts with sorting out the pay and conditions of the people he praised for holding social care together.
“An important first step is reversing plans to make migrant care workers wait 15 years to qualify to settle in the UK, instead of the current five.
“If the prime minister is to build a fairer and more equal country that works for more people, he must properly fund public services and the people who deliver them after years of Tory neglect.
“Repealing the public ownership ban on water is a positive move, but the prime minister needs to go further and bring water back into full public ownership.
“It will be good to hear more about how he plans to tip the balance back in favour of ordinary people and make those with the deepest pockets pay their fair share.
“It’s time to look seriously at things such as a wealth tax and raising the surcharge on banking profits, instead of people’s pensions.”