Jeremy Corbyn to propose nationalising failing care homes
The Labour leader will say social care is at "serious risk of breakdown" and those running the country are taking it "for a ride".
Saturday 14 January 2017 10:58, UK
Jeremy Corbyn will promise to take failing care homes into public ownership if Labour gets into power, warning that the social care system is at "serious risk of breakdown".
In a speech to the Fabian Society, he will focus on fairness, accusing the Conservatives of slashing taxes for the richest while cutting pay and public services.
He will argue that rising costs and falling fee payments from councils have seen 380 care home businesses declared insolvent since 2010.
Mr Corbyn will also point to figures from the Care Quality Commission which found last year that one in five nursing homes did not have sufficient staff on duty to ensure residents received good care.
He will say: "Labour will not let the elderly down, people who've worked all their lives, paid their taxes and made a massive contribution to society."
Labour is facing another battle for voters after former shadow education secretary to become director of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
His departure triggers a by-election in Stoke-on-Trent Central.
The party is already facing a by-election in Copeland and Leigh after the resignation of Jamie Reed.
Sonia Sodha, a former adviser to ex-leader Ed Miliband, told Sky News: "It's just not a great look for (the) Labour party when Tristram Hunt - someone who 18 months ago actually threw his hat in the ring for leadership - 18 months later is leaving Parliament."
Darren Murphy, a former adviser to ex-prime minister Tony Blair, said: "It's my 25th year in the Labour party - this is a political party we spent our lives in. It is terrible, it is painful to just watch and see that collapse, but it's collapsing."
However, former told Sky News: "I think the defining thing about Jeremy is that he does not give in to media pressure. He doesn't sit down and read some boring speech that's been written by media consultants.
"A bit like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, he says what he thinks and he believes, and that's what people will relate to."
Certainly, Mr Corbyn will strike a populist tone at the Fabian Society.
He will say: "The people who run Britain have been taking our country for a ride. They've stitched up our political system to protect the powerful.
"They've put the country at risk by taking us into disastrous foreign wars. They've rigged the economy and business rules to line the pockets of their friends."
Following his clash with Theresa May at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Corbyn will return to the attack on the winter "crisis" in the NHS.
"I don't keep talking about the NHS because it's in Labour's comfort zone. I talk about the National Health Service because it's in a danger zone," he will say.
His speech to the Fabian Society comes just days after the think-tank released a study suggesting the party could get as little as 20% of the vote at the next general election and win fewer than 150 seats.
It concluded that Labour had and should seek ways to win power with the support of parties such as the Liberal Democrats.