Conservative Shadow Health Secretary Damian Hinds has stated that his party will not support Labour leader Andy Burnham’s proposal for a new National Care Service if it involves raising taxes. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Hinds indicated that while the Conservatives are open to cross-party discussions on reforming social care for older adults, there are clear conditions that must be met.

Hinds emphasized the current level of the tax burden as a key constraint, saying that any plan requiring additional revenue through general taxation must also identify areas where spending could be reduced. He further underscored the party’s refusal to consider increased government borrowing as a method of funding social care reform. These conditions set boundaries around potential Conservative engagement with Burnham’s proposals.

He also suggested that Burnham may have already finalized his plan and is seeking opposition backing rather than fostering genuine debate. “Disagreement is good,” Hinds said, describing political discourse as a process of identifying differences and debating them to reach improved outcomes. He cautioned against what he characterized as a premature or overly agreeable consensus, stating that democratic engagement involves rigorous discussion to develop better policy solutions.

The comments illustrate the challenges facing efforts to secure cross-party consensus on social care reform, an area of political and public concern amid rising demand for services for the elderly. The Conservatives’ stance signals reluctance to increase fiscal burdens at a time when tax levels and public borrowing remain sensitive topics in UK politics. Meanwhile, Labour’s proposal for a National Care Service aims to overhaul social care funding and provision, but the details and trade-offs involved remain points of contention between the parties.