Labour have moved on from the death tax for now – and so should the Tories

Labour’s plans for a national care service aren’t looking too sharp this morning.  Andy Burnham is expected to announce a cap on residential costs for the elderly later today – to be funded by freezing inheritance tax bands, raising the statutory retirement age, and (lo!) efficiency savings.  But the full, free-for-everyone-at-the-point-of-use service will have to wait some time – or at least until a new independent commission has decided on how it can be funded in the long-term.  In other words, the government has decided to park the death tax issue until well after the election.

Presentationally speaking, this is proving difficult for the government.  I mean, just rewind to Alistair Darling last night, stumbling and mumbling over whether Labour are still considering a death tax.  And then there was Burnham’s wobbly performance, on the same issue, on the Today programme this morning.