Conservatives accused of U-turn on 'death tax' to care for elderly (UK)

Conservatives accused of U-turn on 'death tax' to care for elderly

Health secretary Andrew Lansley sets up commission to examine compulsory funding of long-term care

Nicholas Watt, Randeep Ramesh and David Brindle

guardian.co.uk

20 July 2010

The government was accused today of performing a U-turn on one of the most explosive issues of the general election when the health secretary,Andrew Lansley, left open the option of a "death tax" to fund long-term care for the elderly.

Only months after waging a Tory poster campaign against the Labour plan, Lansley established a new independent commission that will be free to examine compulsory funding of long-term care.

He is already under fire for abandoning commitments in the coalition agreement after he abolished primary care trusts.

Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, said: "Today's announcement is yet another example of the Tories changing their tune only weeks after the election. When I called cross-party talks [as health secretary], Mr Lansley refused to attend unless a compulsory option was taken off the table. He even produced crass posters with gravestones to make his point. Now he is giving this commission free rein to look at compulsory options."

Abridged
SOURCE:     The Guardian, UK

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