There’s nothing like being ill (manflu in my case) to make you think about health-related matters.
This week’s announcement of delays to the Health & Social Care Bill, though, look all a little too, er, convenient for comfort.
This should be simple. The Liberal Democrats’ position is – and it’s very public. Those excellent people at the Social Liberal Forum have done a good job of getting Lib Dem members to press the point home at http://socialliberal.net/sign-the-statement/.
Now there should be a bit of hardheaded Cabinet negotiation going on. I can’t put things any clearer than Prateek Buch and Evan Harris’ excellent Left Foot Forward piece:-
“Various reports indicate that the government has agreed to delay, take control of and significantly alter the bill to fend off increasingly damaging criticisms. In addition the house of commons select committee on health published its recommendations which, in many areas, echo the Liberal Democrats’ call for changes. Andrew Lansley has thus been forced to admit the need to make concessions; though Nick Clegg went even further this morning on BBC breakfast by saying that major changes would be made.”
So as clear as mud then. The opacity cannot last long, for practical as well as political reasons.
Should we hold our breath? I’m sure my doctor warned me it wasn’t good for me….
