The coalition’s health reforms are in chaos. They seem to be opposed by the world and his dog …Interestingly, the Deputy PM is using the Health Bill as the platform for his political fight back after last week’s electoral disaster. By saying (very publicly) that no health bill is better than a bad bill he has raised the political stakes as far as they can go. In effect he is putting the future of the coalition at risk over one particular item of the coalition’s legislative agenda. What is his rationale?
The NHS reforms proposed by Andrews Lansley are unpopular with many Tory as well as Lib Dem MPs. The scale and pace of what is proposed did not feature in the Tory Party manifesto. Even the beneficiaries of the reforms (GPs) are not happy with what is being proposed. Very wisely the PM decided to put the bill’s passage on hold to enable further consultation to take place.
Andrew Lansley must feel very isolated and unloved. As he tucks into his Kellogg’s cornflakes this morning he must wonder what the future holds for him. He may even suspect that the PM has authorised the Deputy PM to say what he has said about the bill. If so the future is not so rosy …
How has it come to this? There was a time three or four years ago when Andrew Lansley looked unassailable. He was the one member of the shadow cabinet who was left alone by David and George. It was assumed that he was a safe pair of hands. His job was to persuade the health professionals to support the Tory Party’s NHS agenda. In this he was largely successful. He was even given the promise of additional funding in real terms for the lifetime of the parliament. And then he was appointed Health Secretary and it all went horribly wrong.
It is easy to speculate about the reasons. I suspect that unlike the welfare reforms there was no electoral mandate for what ended up in the Health Bill.
Unless the PM is very careful the Health Bill will be used by the Lib Dems to draw an unhealthy wedge between the coalition partners. So what does he need to do?
Having thought about the issue for a few days I think I have the perfect solution. Why doesn’t the PM appoint Norman Lamb as Health Secretary? Let me explain my thinking …
Health is an issue which Norman understands. He performed well when he had the health portfolio. His views on the NHS reforms as they stand are well known. I have even mused about them. So why not give him the job of reforming the bill and then assume the responsibility for delivering the revised reform package?
Tory MPs needn’t worry about Norman. He is huge fan of Alan Milburn and his health reforms. Milburn was the last radical to be Health Secretary. It would also mean that the Lib Dems would be unable to play party politics over health with one of their own running the department. All in all the perfect solution. Does the PM have the courage to make it happen?
Am I the only person becoming rather bored by Vince Cable’s regular outbursts? He was at it again over the weekend. What does he think these outbursts achieve? It is all very sad seeing somebody who impressed so much before the election disappoint now that he has the opportunity to turn his vision into a reality. Perhaps it was always going to happen …
Is the Health Bill dead? Is the PM encouraging the Deputy PM to attack the proposed reforms? Does it make good political sense to make Norman Lamb Health Secretary? What is going to happen to Vince Cable?
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