“There is an argument for a basic income as far as I’m concerned.”

The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has once more reiterated his call for a basic income and also called for an overhaul of inheritance tax to fund a National Care Service, in proposals that have been praised for their bold and radical nature.

Speaking to the New Statesman’s Path to Power conference yesterday, Burnham proposed funding a National Care Service through replacing inheritance tax with a “care levy” that everyone would pay, with the wealthiest contributing the most. Burnham has previously called for a National Care Service so that ‘no one has to worry about care costs in the later stages of their life’.

The former Labour leadership contender also said that Labour ‘won’t be able not to raise the issue of tax’, saying that not all tax increases should be viewed as unpopular.

The New Statesman reported: “Burnham suggested a range of tax options that could be explored, including a tourist tax for major cities (a common practice across Europe), a land-value capture tax so local communities benefit for new development, and a “care levy” to fix the UK’s dysfunctional social care system. He argued there would be less public resistance to this than is often anticipated, pointing out “it’s not fun draining your parent’s bank account to pay for care”.

Burnham also reiterated his support for a basic income. He told the conference: “If you set people up to succeed through giving them security, in terms of their finances and their housing, they will succeed”, adding: “There is an argument for a basic income as far as I’m concerned.”

He also made the case for bolder constitutional reform, calling for proportional representation, as well as reform of the House of Lords and more devolution to make levelling up a success.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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