We have an aging society. The frailest and most vulnerable groups of elderly with major care needs are a rapidly growing population. Care for such people is difficult and labour intensive. Doing that on the cheap is not sustainable. The mass importation of poorly paid carers has deferred a reckoning

Until and unless we have a political class willing and able to state these basic truths about social care, reform its provision so it doesn’t carry on destroying local govt, and actually raise the taxes needed to fund it properly, we are, not to put to fine a point on it, f***ed on this issue.

This has been known for literally decades now - since at least the Dilnot review was commissioned. And yet nothing meaningful has been done. And there is no sign it will soon either, with this govt kicking it all into the long grass with another pointless “review”.