General Election Analysis: Conservative Party Manifesto
BASW England's Policy & Campaigns Officer, Josh Dixon takes a closer look at the Conservative Party's offering to voters at this election.
Conservative Manifesto
As we approach the upcoming general election, the Conservative Party's manifesto has laid out several key policies that warrant scrutiny from the social workers and those concerned with the future of health and social care services. While the manifesto promises significant changes and reforms, it raises critical questions about funding and feasibility, with potential impacts on social work and the people we serve.
Tax cuts and welfare reform
The Conservatives propose £17 billion in tax cuts by 2030, primarily through National Insurance reductions for the self-employed. These cuts are to be funded by tightening welfare spending and addressing tax evasion. However, the plan to save £12 billion by reforming welfare payments, especially those related to disability benefits, is highly controversial. Given the current high number of individuals out of work due to long-term sickness (2.8 million), any further tightening of disability benefits could exacerbate hardship for vulnerable populations.
BASW have been campaigning hard to see sustained funding for welfare benefits as well as for the two-child cap to be scrapped which is unlikely to be forthcoming based on the manifesto and the rhetoric from ministers.
Social Care
A major manifesto pledge is the implementation of an £86,000 cap on social care costs for older adults and disabled people in England by October 2025. While this proposal aims to limit personal care costs over a lifetime, the absence of a clear funding strategy raises serious concerns. Previous attempts to introduce such caps were halted due to insufficient funding, and the reallocation of the original £3.6 billion earmarked for these reforms only adds to the uncertainty.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Nuffield Trust have both highlighted the risks associated with unfunded commitments. Without adequate financial backing, the cap on social care costs could result in deeper cuts to other essential services, further straining local authorities already under significant pressure.
Children’s social care
Despite the critical need for investment in children’s social care, the Conservative manifesto allocates no new funding for reforms. This omission is alarming given the estimated £2.6 billion required to implement the recommendations of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care and as pushed for BASW England in response to the review. The manifesto mentions creating more places in children’s homes and expanding mentoring for care leavers, but these initiatives lack the necessary financial support for effective implementation.
The creeping privatisation and the impact this has on both quality and local affordability of placements is not addressed which BASW remains greatly concerned by.
The current crisis in local authority funding underscores the urgent need for substantial investment in children's services. Without it, the proposed reforms are unlikely to bring about the transformative changes needed to ensure that every child receives safe, stable, and nurturing care.
Migration and human rights
The Conservatives' pledge to introduce a legal cap on migration, reducing the number of work and family visas annually, could have significant implications for public services. While the manifesto claims this will protect public services, the evidence suggests otherwise. The Migration Advisory Committee has consistently noted that high-skilled migrants contribute positively to public finances and fill essential gaps in the labour market, including in the NHS and social care sectors.
Restricting migration could exacerbate workforce shortages in social care, where recruitment and retention are already challenging. This policy appears to be more about political optics than addressing the practical needs of public services.
The continued assault on the rights of migrants and refugees should appal us all and BASW will continue to advocate for a compassionate approach to how we support people of all backgrounds and regardless of their situation.
Local Government funding
The manifesto promises multi-year funding settlements for local authorities, which could improve financial planning and stability. However, without substantial increases in overall funding, this promise falls short of addressing the systemic issues facing local government. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has emphasised that multi-year settlements alone are insufficient to meet the growing demand for social care services.
Conclusion
The Conservative manifesto presents a series of ambitious reforms with significant implications for social work. However, the lack of clear funding strategies and the reliance on cuts to already strained services raise serious concerns. Social workers and the communities we serve deserve policies that are not only visionary but also viable and adequately funded. As the election approaches, we will continue to highlight and push for our political leaders to come clean and show they’re fit to meet the challenge facing social work in 2024 and to remind them: it’s time to get it right.
