Baroness Altmann says politicians from all parties have failed to face up to the implications of the ageing population

The tension between Theresa May and Philip Hammond before the autumn statement was palpable. Neither the prime minister nor the chancellor is a shouter but there was a cold, hard edge to many of their conversations and some of the frostiest moments were about the funding of social care.

According to senior figures in Whitehall, Mr Hammond desperately wanted to allocate more resources to looking after the elderly. The chancellor’s proposal was to allow local authorities to raise extra cash by removing the 2 per cent limit on the precept that they can add to council tax to pay for social care. He was backed by Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, who has become increasingly concerned about the impact on the NHS of cuts to