Thursday, February 09, 2012

Conservative Home to call for the scrapping of the Health and Social Care Bill

[Later. Read the Conservative Home article.]

A report in tomorrow's Guardian says:
It is ... expected that the influential Conservative Home website, seen as the voice of the party grassroots, will publish an editorial on Friday calling for the bill to be dropped altogether. It is understood that Conservative Home has been urged to make the call by three cabinet members who believe David Cameron is not listening on the issue. 
One source said: "We have almost been instructed to write this." It is extraordinary that cabinet members feel so frustrated at the political deadlock that they have resorted to urging Conservative Home to raise the flag of rebellion.
The report also says that "plans are being laid for a call for it to be scrapped at the Liberal Democrat spring conference".

I analysed the difficulties this bill has run to in a post earlier today. But as I also say there, we Liberal Democrats need to think what we want to do with the NHS now we are in power.

Clue: Leave it however Labour left it will not do as an answer.
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2 comments:

  1. Pseudomonas10 February, 2012 15:13

    I realise this is a meta-suggestion, but: I strongly believe any changes made to an organisation as large and complex as the NHS should be made stepwise, preferably with regional trials with defined measures for success.

    My personal hunch is that trying to solve the problems of the NHS by adding more competition is probably the wrong tool for the job, but I'd be very open to being proved wrong empirically. I am much less open to marketophiles introducing large-scale and costly changes as an article of faith.

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  2. Mark10 February, 2012 18:23

    The passage of this bill has been an absolute masterclass of political mismanagement.

    Let's face it, how many other bills have required a 'pause' in their passage through parliament. Let alone the continual drumbeat of opposition and objection - a lot from bodies who are normally quite receptive to Conservative health proposals.

    And whether you like it or not, the Liberal Democrats have to shoulder a lot of the blame, and will feel the pinch on this issue when it comes to the next election.

    As for - 'we Liberal Democrats need to think what we want to do with the NHS now we are in power'- it's a bit late in the day for that now, isn't it?

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