Norman Lamb fears NHS is 'heading for a car crash'
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has told friends that he fears the Government is "heading for a car crash" over the .
"The row over tuition fees will be nothing compared to this one if we get it wrong," he's told them.
"The public won't forgive us if we get it wrong."
As chief political advisor to Nick Clegg and a party whip, Norman Lamb is normally the soul of discretion. Indeed it is his job (as we have reported before) to work quietly behind the scenes ironing out any problems between the Conservative and Liberal Democrats before they make it onto the front pages.
Norman Lamb - health reform concerns
So something has clearly gone wrong behind the scenes when himself is on the front pages threatening to resign unless the Government reforms its plans for the NHS.
It seems as if Mr Lamb has just become very frustrated. Health is something he knows a lot about - he was a highly regarded shadow health spokesman and he knows a lot of the key players very well. We understand that ever since Mr Lansley first produced his reforms, Norman Lamb has had reservations and has been quietly fighting behind the scenes for changes.
Having failed he's decided to speak out.
It's not the principle of giving more powers to GPs that worries him, it's the process. He fears that it is all happening too fast and that many in the health profession are not yet won over.
He is instead advocating a policy similar to that in Education over Academies - why not wait for GPs to come to the Government and ask to opt out rather than make them all do it by 2013?
He doesn't want to be seen as rebel, he will still passionately defend the rise in VAT, council cuts and the rise in tuition fees. But on this issue he felt he had to speak out, even though he accepts it may scupper any future Ministerial ambitions.
There is, of course, a large element of politics in this.
We are weeks away from local elections where the Lib Dems expect to do very badly. Mr Lamb's intervention on this issue is a chance for the party to claim on the doorsteps that it's standing up to those "nasty Tories".
Nick Clegg knew what Mr Lamb was going to say on yesterday's Politics Show, he knew he was going to write today's article in the . We now understand that he's told Mr Lamb to be quiet and lie low.
For every politician there comes a time when you feel you have to put principle before party. This has been a defining 24 hours in Mr Lamb's political career.
If the Government makes substantial changes during its new "listening process", he will be able to claim a lot of the credit. If it doesn't, he could find himself heading for the back benches.
Welcome to the political blog for the East. I'm Deborah McGurran, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's Political Editor for the region. From Lowestoft to Luton, this is the place for politics with an eastern twist.
Comment number 1.
At 12th Apr 2011, Mtwain2011 wrote:Going by the video and the passage given above Norman Lamb's concerns over the reforms to the NHS seems to be genuine. Working quietly behind the scene all the time would mean hiding the real progress of the nation from the public. Norman's decision to voice on this issue is welcome. Unlike the education and other public sectors, the health sector is more sensitive and any reforms brought about should be done in a slow and steady trial-and-error basis. Refer .
Also another way of looking at it is, why is all the issue being brought about just weeks before the local elections? Is it all political games?
Keeping one's principle and passion ahead of his party is really great. And what a pity if genuine people have to lose their positions and credits based on the changes undertaken by the government. Surely, this cannot be the fate.
An experienced, committed and well-recognized person like Mr. Norman would definitely have a point as he speaks out. Hope the government pays attention and does what is best.
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