THERESA May has been accused of being in “full meltdown” after performing a dramatic U-turn on her social care policy.
May stressed how there would be an “absolute limit” on what people would pay if she gained power on June 9.
Such a cap was not mentioned in the Conservative Party manifesto last week, which simply referred to a floor of £100,000; an amount which people in England would be able to keep and pass on to their loved ones.
Indeed, the Tory manifesto said proposals from the Dilnot Report on social care, which included a £72,000 ceiling on the total amount any individual would have to pay, "mostly benefited a small number of wealthier people".
The unexpected change of tack seems to have materialised following a backlash from Tory candidates, who were coming under increasing pressure on the doorstep to counter Labour’s charge that the party’s proposal was, in effect, a “dementia tax”.
The Conservatives’ “wobbly weekend” also saw their poll lead over Labour halved to nine points.
A deal of anger has emerged within Conservative ranks about the social care plans, which do not appear to have been agreed by the Cabinet but introduced by Mrs May’s key team at the last moment.
At a press conference following the launch of the Welsh Conservative manifesto in Wrexham, the Prime Minister was adamant that “nothing had changed” in the Tories’ proposal, saying how the party’s UK manifesto, launched in Halifax last week, had mentioned how there would be a consultative Green Paper.
She accused Jeremy Corbyn of peddling “fake news” and of seeking to manipulate the fears of the old and vulnerable over the Conservatives’ contentious plan to fund social care.
When a questioner asked about the “dementia tax,” Mrs May appeared frustrated and shook her head, saying that the journalist was repeating phraseology used by Labour to scare people.
The PM said: "We have not changed the principles of the policies we set out in our manifesto. Those policies remain exactly the same.
"There will be aspects of how this operates that we will consult on through the Green Paper. We were honest that we were going to have a green paper and would be consulting people on how the system operates.
"What we have done, which other parties have signally failed to do, is to recognise the challenge that we face, to respect the needs and concerns of the British people and to provide a long-term plan for sustainable social care which means that elderly people in this country won't have to worry about how their social care will be paid for in the future."
Mrs May's announcement was leaked by her former Cabinet colleague George Osborne - now editor of the London Evening Standard - in a tweet half an hour before she spoke, in which he said: "U-turn coming on social care. There will be a cap."
Responding to the U-turn, Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat former care minister, said: "This is Theresa May's manifesto meltdown. This is not strong and stable. It's panic and U-turn."
Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, tweeted: "PM not so strong and stable after all…and can't be trusted to protect pensioners."
Patrick O’Flunn, Ukip’s economic spokesman, said the Tories’ new proposal was "wholly inadequate" and raised more questions than it answers.
He said a cap in six figures would be "wholly unacceptable" and urged pensioners to put pressure on the PM to commit herself to a specific and lower figure. "The Conservatives are in full meltdown on this issue," declared Mr O'Flynn.
Campaigning in Hull, Mr Corbyn said a Tory U-turn on the "very dangerous and ill thought-out" social care policy would be "extremely welcome".
He explained: “Because I want this country to face up to its responsibilities to those who need care, like the frail and elderly, those with special needs, those with severe disabilities, those with learning difficulties.
"Our proposals are that we will refund social care, putting emergency money into it now so those million people waiting for social care don't wait.
"And we won't get involved in this horrible policy that is being put forward which will actually damage families and family income, damage people, break up relationships, all kinds of horrible things will happen from their very dangerous and ill-thought out social care policy."
The Labour leader added: "And if George Osborne is at last doing something useful in his life such as supporting proper funding of social care, then thank you George for that and I urge you to read very carefully what's in our manifesto on social care."
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