The Government has failed to grasp its first opportunity to tackle social care crisis

The Budget would have been ideal for Labour to show voters that it was going to break the cycle of inaction that has left adult social care broken. Instead the care sector was left out in the cold.

With an ageing population, Britain is headed towards an iceberg and councils up and down the country are facing major financial challenges. Eight in 10 councils in England are on course to bust their budget on adult social care by March.

The proposed National Care Service would be undermined before it is even established.

An increase in employer’s National Insurance contributions and a rise in the National Living Wage will only heap further pressure.

This comes at a time when providers are quitting the sector just as the demand is rising.

It is worrying that Melanie Williams, president of Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass), believes the financial situation for councils is “at breaking point” and that the rises mean the adult social care sector “is at the limit”.

Sweet words on social care are not going to resolve the underlying issues impacting the sector. A lack of action will continue to hurt the NHS.

And it is clear that the Budget did not address the social care crisis in a meaningful manner. If anything, the can has been kicked further down the road and Labour has also shown that it is not ready to face up to the realities around social care.

It’s quite telling that of all the leaders it was Boris Johnson who came closest to even begin addressing the crisis when he pledged to fix social care once and for all.

Reforms never saw the light of day and his social care levy was quickly binned by his predecessor. Labour must do better.