The Liberal Democrats have reacted after a day in which the upper echelons of the Conservative Party were in lock-down, apparently in panic after their social care policy backfired. The Institute for Fiscal Studies analysed Theresa May’s plans and concluded that “the Conservative plan makes no attempt to deal with the fundamental challenge of social care funding.”

The Conservatives are now pushing different cabinet ministers out to Sunday newspapers in an attempt to “move the conversation on” from social care.

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, said:

“The Tory high command is now in meltdown. It realises it has misjudged the British people, who don’t like this cold, mean-spirited Conservative approach to our most vulnerable citizens.

“First Theresa May was revealed as the lunch-snatcher. Now she is pushing a Dementia tax. This will go down as her poll tax – not only a colossal political miscalculation, but also cruel, showing that she just doesn’t care.

“No wonder the Tories are panicking. The Liberal Democrats will continue to campaign to give social care the extra funding it needs, properly funded with a penny on income tax to pay for it, and to give Britain a brighter future.”