Leaders at Norfolk County Council have been urged to guarantee that 20 care homes it had been in talks to sell will remain in public hands.
Reform leaders at County Hall announced this week that proposals to sell the council-owned homes to private care provider Stow Healthcare had been withdrawn.
Senior councillors had said they had decided not to press ahead with the sale, which had been agreed in principle by the former Conservative administration, because it was not in the best interests of the people who live in the homes - or for the Norfolk taxpayers.
It has prompted Labour MPs Clive Lewis (Norwich South) and Alice Macdonald (Norwich North) to call for senior councillors to rule out the sale of the residential homes to another private care company.
Mr Lewis said: "Stopping the sale is only the first step. These 20 care homes belong to the people of Norfolk.
"Local taxpayers built and funded them over generations, and they must remain in public hands.
"They are currently run by a council-owned company that answers to the public through the council and focuses on care, not extracting profit.
"We cannot allow a Reform-led administration to treat essential public infrastructure as financial liabilities to offload to commercial contractors.
"Council leadership must give a clear, binding commitment today to keep our care homes under public ownership and management permanently."
The MPs, along with other Labour representatives, have written to County Hall leaders with their plea.
Reform leaders have said they are working closely with senior officers to find a solution that is more locally focused.
It is not yet clear what that solution will be, although the authority's recently appointed chief executive Dennis Bacon has a background in providing care.
The homes are run by Norse Care, a company owned by the council, which was also due to be sold to Stow Healthcare, with staff transferring to that company.
Norse Care's contract to run the homes has twice been extended while negotiations took place, but its parent company Norse Group had previously announced it wanted to withdraw from the care market.
It could be that the council will look to sell the homes to another private provider, but it could, potentially, run the services in house.
The council has confirmed it has not had to pay anything to Bury St Edmunds Stow Healthcare, which is now owned by United States-based CGEN Care Group, as a result of the failure to reach agreement over a deal.
Which homes were due to be sold?
Bishop Herbert House, Norwich
Cranmer House, Fakenham
Ellacombe, Thorpe Hamlet
Harker House, Long Stratton
High Haven, Downham Market
Lydia Eva Court, Gorleston
Mayflower Court, Norwich
Mountfield, Norwich
Munhaven, Mundesley
Rebecca Court, Heacham
Rose Meadow, North Walsham
St Edmunds, Attleborough
St Nicholas House, Dereham
Sydney House, Stalham
Westfields, Swaffham
Three Norse Care properties - Springdale Care Home in Brundall, Burman House in Terrington St John, and Linden Court in Watton - have already closed.
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