Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has accused new Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham of conspiring with Britain’s “failed political establishment” to “foist further tax rises on the country”, after Reform UK was excluded from cross-party talks on social care.
Burnham has invited representatives from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to discuss reform of the adult social care system, which he has warned is placing the NHS under intolerable pressure.
Reform UK, however, is conspicuously absent from these discussions. Despite frequently topping Westminster voting intention surveys, winning May’s local elections and representing millions of voters across the country, Reform UK was not invited to take part.
Farage described this decision as the “uniparty in action”.
“If Andy Burnham is serious about putting politics aside to solve Britain’s biggest problems, it’s remarkable that he’s chosen to ignore the party that led over 300 national opinion polls and represents thousands of councillors and millions of Britons across the country”, Farage said.
The new Prime Minister has said he wants to build a spirit of collaboration around social care. But how genuinely collaborative can these discussions be when the largest party in the country has been excluded from them?
Farage suggested the meeting was not an attempt to forge a genuine national consensus, but an agreement between the old political parties to provide cover for further tax rises.
“It’s now clear that Burnham is conspiring behind closed doors with the failed political establishment to foist further tax rises on the country”, he said.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accepted Burnham’s invitation, although shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew will attend in her place. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will also join the talks remotely. That the Tories - who have lost all credibility to claim being a national party - and the Lib Dems - who have long since given up any pretense of being a serious party at all - were included over Reform speaks volumes.
“The fact Ed Davey and Kemi Badenoch are going along with this tells you all you need to know about their parties”, Farage said. “This is the uniparty in action.”
This is yet more proof that the establishment is determined to ignore the voice of millions of voters demanding a genuine political alternative.
Burnham has invited representatives from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats to discuss reform of the adult social care system, which he has warned is placing the NHS under intolerable pressure.
Reform UK, however, is conspicuously absent from these discussions. Despite frequently topping Westminster voting intention surveys, winning May’s local elections and representing millions of voters across the country, Reform UK was not invited to take part.
Farage described this decision as the “uniparty in action”.
“If Andy Burnham is serious about putting politics aside to solve Britain’s biggest problems, it’s remarkable that he’s chosen to ignore the party that led over 300 national opinion polls and represents thousands of councillors and millions of Britons across the country”, Farage said.
The new Prime Minister has said he wants to build a spirit of collaboration around social care. But how genuinely collaborative can these discussions be when the largest party in the country has been excluded from them?
Farage suggested the meeting was not an attempt to forge a genuine national consensus, but an agreement between the old political parties to provide cover for further tax rises.
“It’s now clear that Burnham is conspiring behind closed doors with the failed political establishment to foist further tax rises on the country”, he said.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accepted Burnham’s invitation, although shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew will attend in her place. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will also join the talks remotely. That the Tories - who have lost all credibility to claim being a national party - and the Lib Dems - who have long since given up any pretense of being a serious party at all - were included over Reform speaks volumes.
“The fact Ed Davey and Kemi Badenoch are going along with this tells you all you need to know about their parties”, Farage said. “This is the uniparty in action.”
This is yet more proof that the establishment is determined to ignore the voice of millions of voters demanding a genuine political alternative.
