Readers believe the party should look to the pledges it made on tax and spending
Here’s an idea for Labour policy on social care – the one presented in the 2019 general election manifesto(Labour may tax wealth more heavily to fund social care, says Starmer, 9 September). This was a costed proposal for an extra £10.8bn in spending to establish a National Care Service, including free personal care for the over-65s, an end to 15-minute-maximum home visits, and an increase in the carer’s allowance.
The grey book accompanying the manifesto calculated that taxing capital gains and dividends at income tax rates would yield £14bn. While Labour should have committed to ending the social care market to achieve its goal of “ensuring care is delivered for people not for profit”, it still would have been a step forward compared with alternatives being proposed today. The fact that this was Jeremy Corbyn’s policy meant that Boris Johnson’s non-plan for social care was met with a vacuum, not an opposition.
Clive Heemskerk
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition