Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told voters he "won't stop" as he revealed an emotional story about his Scouse nan, Kitty, whose life savings were used to pay for her care and whose engagement ring was stolen in a care home.
Mr Burnham, who was born in Old Roan, Aintree, and is MP for Ashton-in-Makerfield, shared the story in a social media post last night (Tuesday) to demonstrate why he is committed to creating a National Care Service, one of his key pledges since entering Number 10 this summer.
Nan's Story: From Bombed-Out Liverpool to Care Home
In his post, Mr Burnham described how his grandmother walked three miles out of bombed-out Liverpool after the war to put a deposit down on a house, the same house where he was born. He said that house "changed the fortunes of our family."
Years later, when she needed care, he said the ring she had worn her whole life was "ripped from her finger and stolen in a care home," and the modest savings she had built up were "all taken to pay for it."
He added: "I was a new MP back then. I watched what it did to my mum, and I made a promise to fight for something better."
Pledge for a National Care Service
Mr Burnham argued that too many people have to use their savings to pay for care for themselves and their loved ones in later life. He first outlined his plan for a national system of care in his speech to the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool back in September.
He said: "That was 25 years ago. If anything, it's worse today. I know so many of you have lived this. Selling the family home. Watching savings disappear. Fighting a system that should be there for the people you love."
The Prime Minister said the new system would be "care that starts in the home, that is free at the point of use," adding it would "protect your home and your savings" and that "no one will pay care charges out of their basic state pension."
Next Steps and Funding
Mr Burnham said the groundwork is being laid now, with Baroness Louise Casey, who is leading a commission into social care, advising on how to do it. He said the aim is to introduce the National Care Service in the next Parliament, fully funded and not through borrowing.
He concluded: "Just as Labour built the NHS, this is about fixing something we've been told for decades can't be fixed, and giving people peace of mind in later life. And I won't stop until it's fixed."
