Are LibDems up to Saving Our NHS @ No 10

"Some of those LibDem Lords are protesting too much!" Arturo said. "A few amendments here and there and they reckon they've saved the day! Probably think they've got more interesting things to do now."

It seems he is right in his conjecture! I read the Guardian Letters page and what did I find? Baroness Williams and Baroness Jolly writing to justify themselves.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/mar/08/lib-dem-debate-health-bill?INTCMP=SRCH

They were distressed to read what Polly Toynbee had stated

Their failure to stop the health bill will come to define the Lib Dems

With surgical precision, the Tories are disembowelling the welfare state – sheep-like, decent Lib Dems can only watch.

Toynbee went on to say:

On Thursday Shirley Williams led her erstwhile rebels into the government lobby to vote for hospitals' right to use 49% of beds for private patients. Baroness Jenkin, PR consultant and wife of Bernard Jenkin MP, gloated on Twitter, "Just walking through the lobby with Shirley Williams." Ha ha! Baroness Williams complained of the Twitter storm that greeted her buckling on the NHS bill. What did she expect when she marched her people out to rebel – and then turned tail? "Sheep in sheep's clothing," said Labour as they watched the Lib Dems troop through the lobby this week, abruptly abandoning close co-operation. Serial displays of sheepdom have led to the bizarre spectacle of Lib Dem peers voting in several cases against amendments they themselves tabled, obediently herded into the opposite lobby by their whips.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/08/nhs-bill-lib-dem-defining-moment

'Ridiculous Nicholas' Clegg must be in a real quandary about this coming weekend's conference. If he still opts for supporting the discredited Health and Social Care Bill, many in the LibDem party will never forgive him. Of course, after the next election, as a result of his crass stupidity and patent narcissism, there will probably no longer be a Parliamentary LibDem party!!

Even the Royal College of Surgeons, who have had mixed feelings about the Bill until now, did an about-turn on 8 March:

An extraordinary general meeting of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) passed a highly critical motion on Thursday night saying the bill would damage the NHS.

http://http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/mar/09/royal-college-surgeons-nhs-reforms

There was an intriguing letter in the Guardian Letters page suggesting a possible last ditch remedy before the NHS is irretrievably down the Swanee!

During prime minister's questions last week about the health and social care bill, David Cameron stated that: "There are 8,200 GP practices covering 95% of the country implementing the health reforms." If it is so, this must be taking place under existing legislation and the bill is unnecessary. Alternatively, if implementation requires new legislation but is occurring while the bill is still being considered by parliament, what would a judicial review make of that? Dr E Moran

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/mar/08/lib-dem-debate-health-bill?INTCMP=SRCH

A judicial review? Now - that is something to conjure with! Maybe, some bright spark LibDem could follow this lead and suggest having a judicial review too.

If they fail this time - many LibDem MPs and Lords will never be forgiven. As Polly Toynbee concluded:

There is a breaking point between a party and supporters that can never be repaired. When, in a year or so, the NHS is in deep disarray with waiting lists soaring, the party will wish it could boast of having voted down the NHS bill in Gateshead this weekend

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/08/nhs-bill-lib-dem-defining-moment

Pity is - Arturo and I, despite our best efforts, have not been able to cadge a lift to Gateshead. Unlike Dr Peedell - our legs are too short to run there to protest!

Dr Peedell said on 7 March:

It is a national scandal that MPs and Peers have failed to listen to healthcare professionals and withdraw this bill. The NHS is being disgracefully horse traded for political purposes. A shameful example of putting the interests of party politics before patients and the public.

It is vital that the Libdems debate their Emergency motion to withdraw the bill.
So I will be channelling my anger into a 42 mile run from Middlesbrough to Gateshead to try and support the brave LibDems who actually care about the NHS and want to save it for the generations to come.
But let’s keep fighting and punish those LibDem MPs who support this bill, at the ballot box

http://bevansrun.blogspot.com/

'Bye' from me and Arturo