Conservatives buy 'dementia tax' Google ad as criticism of policy grows

The Conservatives have paid for a Google advert that appears at the top of the page when users search for “dementia tax” in response to growing attacks on Theresa May’s social care policy.

People using the search engine on Monday to find out about the term, coined to describe the prime minister’s manifesto commitment to shake up the funding of old age care, found the top result was a paid-for link from Conservatives.com that read: “The so-called ‘dementia tax’ – get the real facts.”

It links to a five-point Q&A, which explains that “only by getting a good Brexit deal will we be able to continue to fund our public services, like social care”. The tactic shows the Conservatives are willing to adopt the pejorative term for their policy, in the digital realm at least, in order to fight back against criticism.

It comes after the Financial Times used the phrase on its front page on Monday in a report that claimed senior Tories were not briefed on its inclusion in last week’s manifesto. May has said she would make elderly people pay for care in their own home unless they have less than £100,000 in assets.

The battle for influence over the information voters receive online was illustrated further when Labour appeared to counter the Conservative move by also buying an advertised link at the top of Google searches for the term.

The paid for Labour link read: “The Conservative manifesto – what You need to know.”

Access to the top of Google’s rankings is available to be bought, with the price set through digital auctions. Digital campaigning experts said the total cost was likely to be hundreds of pounds although the exact amount depends on the number of people that click through. According to Google data, interest in the term “dementia tax” rose steadily throughout Monday morning.

May is coming under pressure to drop or water down her controversial shakeup of social care amid warnings that it is unfair and could deter older people from seeking care.

Conservative candidates are reporting that the proposal is going down badly on the doorstep, potentially accounting for a drop in the party’s lead in the polls. Two Tory candidates seeking re-election, including Sarah Wollaston, who chaired the Commons health committee, have gone on the record to criticise the proposal.

Senior Tories including Boris Johnson and Damian Green were sent out to defend the policy on Sunday as “grownup and responsible”, but reports have emerged that the shakeup was inserted in the manifesto at the last minute without the approval of some cabinet ministers.

With the policy polling badly, opposition parties lined up to condemn May’s decision. Labour said it was in effect a “dementia tax”, hitting those unlucky enough to become ill in old age.