Jeremy Corbyn to pledge Labour government public ownership of failing care homes

A Labour government will take failing care homes into public ownership to protect social care provision, Jeremy Corbyn is to promise.

The Labour leader will warn the social care system is at "serious risk of breakdown" unless the Government invests more money.

In a speech to the Fabian Society new year conference on Saturday, he will say rising costs and falling fee payments from councils had seen 380 care home businesses declared insolvent since 2010.

He 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, safe care.

"Labour will not let the elderly down, people who've worked all their lives, paid their taxes and made a massive contribution to society," he will say.

"So a Labour government would give social care the funding it needs and give a firm commitment to take failed private care homes into public ownership to maintain social care protection.

"It's the least we can do to guarantee dignity for people who've given so much to our country."

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.

He will accuse the Conservatives of slashing taxes for the richest - with cuts of £70 billion over the next five years - while cutting pay and public services for the rest.

"The people who run Britain have been taking our country for a ride. They've stitched up our political system to protect the powerful," he will say.

"The truth is the system simply doesn't work for the vast majority of people. Labour under my leadership stands for a complete break with this rigged system.

"We will hand back wealth and control to people and communities."