BMA call for Health Bill to be scrapped as Clegg demands change

Nick Clegg will seek to maximise the Liberal Democrats‘ influence over the imminent changes to the government’s NHS plans with a major speech on Thursday setting out his party’s demands. The deputy prime minister will outline the substantial revisions he expects to see made to the health and social care bill to ensure that his MPs feel able to support it when it returns to parliament. He will also make clear why the NHS needs reform. Party sources say it will echo a keynote speech last week by David Cameron and endorse the prime minister’s view that, although some of health secretary Andrew Lansley’s proposals will be rethought, the service in England will still be expected to embrace far-reaching changes so it can cope with growing financial and clinical pressures. John Healey, shadow health secretary, will accuse Cameron of refusing to amend the bill enough to ensure that it does not harm healthcare. “David Cameron is a PR man looking for a PR answer. He must accept the problem is not the presentation of his NHS plans but the full-blown free market ideology behind them,” Healey will say in a speech to NHS, medical and health policy experts. “This Tory ideology is totally at odds with the ethos of the NHS and the essential way it works.” – the Guardian

In its response to the government’s listening exercise, the BMA said it is vital for the future of the NHS that the Bill is withdrawn, or ‘changed significantly’.  The BMA demanded a number of changes to the proposals, including putting an ‘explicit duty’ on commissioning consortia to involve doctors in secondary care, public health and academia.  It said: ‘The existing duty in the Bill on commissioning consortia to “obtain appropriate advice” is insufficient to ensure that the best clinical practice is enshrined in commissioning. ‘Clear guidance should be developed on models for how this can be achieved in practice, such as by developing clinical networks alongside the strategic and decision-making functions of commissioners.’ The BMA also called for economic regulator Monitor’s primary role to be amended to protecting and promoting high quality, integrated healthcare services, not promoting competition. It said the powers given to the NHS Commissioning Board are ‘inappropriate’ and the Board should be required to consult with consortia before making use of its powers. – GP Online

Osborne warned about pace of cuts

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which had previously given strong backing the Government’s plans to tackle the deficit, has warned that the UK should cut spending more slowly if the current slow rate of growth persists. OECD chief economist Pier Carlo Padoan said: “We see merit in slowing the pace of fiscal consolitdation if there is not so good news on the growth front.” Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls seized on the comments, saying it was “now time George Osborne listened to wise advice, looked at what is happening to the economy and thought again about the speed and scale of his cuts”. Business Secretary Vince Cable has warned that there were “hydrogen bombs” in the economy which could push it back into disaster. Dr Cable also said that governments had not “got to grips” with the country’s economic problems. – Politics Home

Cable warns of economic “hydrogen bombs”

The Business Secretary said other economic “hydrogen bombs” were “out there” and accused the Coalition and other governments of failing to “get to grips” with the threat. The remarks are likely to antagonise David Cameron, who leaves today for a G8 meeting in France with other world leaders, during which the economy is not expected to be high on the agenda. In an interview with the New Statesman magazine today , the Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister also rated his party at only “one or two” out of ten for its political acumen since the election. He said he did not think that Nick Clegg deserved “pity” but described the “relentlessly hostile” pressure the Deputy Prime Minister faces. But Mr Cable said he was most worried by the potential for a repeat of the recent global financial meltdown. – the Telegraph

Obama fails to back Coalition cuts

Barack Obama stopped short of endorsing the Coalition Government’s big spending cuts yesterday in a setback to David Cameron’s hopes of winning the President’s seal of approval. Although Mr Obama said the US and UK shared the same goals of securing economic growth and deficit reduction, he insisted that each country would tackle the problems in their different ways and at their own pace. He also suggested that nations would need the flexibility to change course if their strategy was not working – a so-called “Plan B”, which the Chancellor George Osborne refuses to contemplate. Speaking at a joint press conference next to Mr Cameron, the President said the success in pulling the world out of recession was in large part due to concerted action between the US, UK and other countries – a process in which Gordon Brown played a leading role. Admitting that the US and UK were cutting on a different timescale, Mr Obama said: “The nature of the debt and deficits are different. And as a consequence, the sequencing and pace may end up being different.” – the Independent

Tory right question Cameron’s risk taking on law and order

Senior Tories have raised concerns that the party is risking its reputation for being strong on law and order as the police unveiled plans for a summer campaign of protest against coalition cuts. Officers from more than 40 forces will put their case against the government’s cost-cutting and wider changes, at a meeting in parliamenton Monday, while the Police Federation, which represents the rank and file, has announced a national “day of action” in July aimed at derailing the current policies. David Davis, the Conservatives‘ former home affairs spokesman, expressed fears that the party was in danger of losing its reputation for being tough on crime and that public confidence was being dented by cuts to the police and justice systems combined with new liberal sentencing policies. After a week in which the justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, caused a storm over proposals to offer shorter sentences to rapists who confessed at an early stage, Davis said: “There is a serious risk that the Conservative party will lose its clear 20 to 30 point opinion poll leads [over Labour] on crime and immigration if it does not take a clearer stance on these issues.” – the Observer

How long can Huhne hold on?

Chris Huhne’s estranged wife is expected to tell police a female confidante of her husband also took points for him on her licence. Vicky Pryce, who will be interviewed by detectives this week, claims that Mr Huhne evaded points for speeding on more than one occasion. Miss Pryce, 57, has told friends that Mr Huhne not only persuaded her to take points for him – but that he also got another person to do the same on a separate occasion. A source said: “Vicky has been telling people she is not the only one to take points and that Chris had got someone else to do it before her. She has said she will do whatever is ‘necessary’ and ‘appropriate’ to help the police investigation and that means telling them everything she knows.” Mr Huhne, 56, will also be quizzed by police under caution in coming days as he battles to save his career. Mr Huhne, who strongly denies the allegations, faces jail if convicted of perverting the course of justice by getting his wife to take his penalty points. – the Telegraph

Pressure mounted on Chris Huhne last night with a flurry of fresh allegations over his penalty points saga, including the claim that he accepts that he may have been driving his car on the day it was clocked speeding eight years ago. The embattled Energy Secretary is expected to tell police he “cannot be sure” he was not behind the wheel when it was caught exceeding the speed limit in March 2003, according to a report in The Sunday Times. The paper quoted a member of Mr Huhne’s camp saying that he could not remember his movements on the day in question. The source added: “He hasn’t got a diary about whether he drove or not.” The concession follows weeks of flat denials that Mr Huhne pressurised his wife, Vicky Pryce, into accepting the three-point penalty so he could escape a driving ban. Observers pointed out that, if the minister is interviewed this week by police under caution, the “can’t remember” position would be more easily defensible in law if the case ever went to court. – the Independent

Clegg takes aim at NHS in attempt to bring party in line

The dispute within the coalition government over NHS reformshas intensified after Nick Clegg demanded the removal of another main part of the proposals designed to encourage competition and private sector involvement. The deputy prime minister has put himself on a collision course with the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, by proposing that a clause in the bill encouraging “any qualified provider” to take over services from the NHS should be radically rethought or dropped. Clegg told senior Liberal Democrats that he would scupper Lansley’s bill unless the Tories agreed to the new demand. He has already insisted on scrapping the requirement that Monitor, the NHS regulator, compels hospitals to compete with each other. He wants it to be replaced with a duty to promote collaboration. – the Guardian (more…)

No You Can’t – Clegg snubbed by Obama

The White House has turned down a request for Nick Clegg to have a one-to-one meeting with Barack Obama when he visits Britain this week. Aides to the Deputy Prime Minister tried to secure an audience and a photo opportunity with the President as part of his first state visit to Britain. Mr Obama is due to meet the Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband for an hour at Buckingham Palace, so the Liberal Democrats had hoped that the White House would agree to a similar meeting with Mr Clegg. However government sources said the request has been turned down by Washington. It is understood they felt that as President it would not be appropriate for him to have a one-to-one meeting with a Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Clegg will meet Mr Obama – but at all times David Cameron will be in the room. – the Independent

New cases come forward in hacking investigation

Actor Jude Law and Labour MP Chris Bryant are now among the first people who will have their legal action against the News of the Worldover alleged phone hacking heard by the high court. The court also heard allegations that a senior News of the World executive, who was not named, had ordered private detective Glenn Mulcaire to hack into Jude Law’s phone. News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the News of the World, denied this was the case. The pair are the newest names to be included among five test cases chosen by high court judge Mr Justice Vos, also including former Sky Sports pundit Andy Gray, agent Sky Andrew and interior designer Kelly Hoppen… A secondary list of five claimants has also been drawn up in the event that further people drop out. They include comedian Steve Coogan, former footballer Paul Gascoigne, Max Clifford’s former assistant Nicola Phillips, ex-MP George Galloway and Mary-Ellen Field, former adviser to model Elle Macpherson. – the Guardian

Labour puts pressure on the government over equality

Labour MPs are attempting to set up a powerful parliamentary committee to vet government policy for discriminatory effects on women, claiming that the coalition has a “blind spot” when it comes to equal opportunities. Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, said the justice secretary Kenneth Clarke’s controversial comments on rape this week betrayed a lack of understanding of gender issues across the government, and that there needed to be a democratic institution to act as a safeguard for women’s rights. Cooper and Fiona Mactaggart, the shadow minister for women and equalities, will meet voluntary organisations to unveil the plans. The idea is attracting support from both sides of the house. It comes amid mounting concern about the impact of government policies on women, and a furious debate over some of the language used by senior Conservatives in recent weeks, not least the prime minister’s now infamous “Calm down dear” comment. – the Guardian

Huhne “can’t remember” night in question

Chris Huhne will tell police that he has no recollection of his movements on the night he was allegedly caught speeding, but he will insist to detectives that he did not ask his wife to take the penalty points on his behalf. The Energy Secretary will be questioned by detectives next week over allegations that he allowed Vicky Pryce to take the punishment after he was caught speeding while driving back from Stansted Airport on March 12 2003. But he will tell detectives that he has no memory of what he did on that day, despite the fact that official records show that he was in the European Parliament in Strasbourg until the afternoon and was likely to have taken a flight which landed at Stansted at 10.23pm that night. This weekend Mr Huhne is braced for further revelations from his estranged wife about the alleged speeding offence. Michael Fallon, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said he should step aside if he is charged by police. – the Telegraph

MPs to debate privacy laws

MPs of all parties are set to force a Commons debate on super-injunctions amid universal complaints that the privacy rules are in chaos. They are being backed by Downing Street, which has warned that a privacy law has been effectively established through a series of court judgments. The move is being led by the former shadow home secretary, David Davis, who hopes to secure the debate next month. Mr Davis and other MPs yesterday condemned Lord Neuberger’s warning that reports of comments made in Parliament designed to break injunctions could still be in contempt of court. They warned Parliament needs to assert its authority over judges over the use of super-injunctions. The issue came to a head when the Liberal Democrat MP, John Hemming, disclosed Sir Fred Goodwin had taken out a super-injunction and a Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Stoneham, told peers that the RBS boss had been having an affair with a “senior colleague”. – the Independent

Clegg humiliated on Lords reform

In vain Mr Clegg tried to persuade MPs that House of Lords reform is a noble cause which should command cross-party support. The Deputy Prime Minister looked and sounded like a victim, and MPs moved in for the kill… The House very soon got into a mood where anything Mr Clegg said sounded absurd. When he said, “I don’t accept the assertion that if you have the audacity to stand for election you somehow lack talent,” people howled with laughter. Mr Clegg did not look over the moon. He did not even look over the Huhne. A parliamentary success can restore morale after a failure in some other field. But Mr Clegg does not look as if he is going to make up for his thumping defeat in the AV referendum by cracking the perhaps insoluble problem of Lords reform. The poor man just looked useless. – the Telegraph

A fightback by Nick Clegg ran into trouble on Tuesday when the deputy prime minister faced Tory and Labour hostility bordering on contempt in both houses of parliament as he vowed to push through an elected second chamber by 2015. In a sign of the bruising battle awaiting Clegg as he seeks to rejuvenate his Lib Dem leadership after an overwhelming defeat in the alternative vote referendum, the Tory cabinet minister charged with selling the Lords reform plans cast doubt over the deputy prime minister’s timetable. Lord Strathclyde, who has privately left Tory peers in no doubt of his scepticism about Clegg’s plans to ensure that at least 80% of the upper house is elected, indicated that a parliamentary bill may not be introduced before the next general election. “If a bill came forward, it would be a government bill and it would be treated as such,” Strathclyde said, appearing to cast doubt on the timetable. The intervention by the leader of the Lords, who joked with Tory peers as they tore into Clegg’s plans during an hour-long statement in the upper house, flew in the face of a commitment from David Cameron at Tuesday’s meeting of the cabinet. – the Guardian

Fox points the finger at colleagues

Defence secretary is said by a source to be convinced that someone on the national security council is out to damage him. Liam Fox believes that a fellow cabinet minister on the national security council tried to damage him by leaking a private letter to David Cameronin which he appeared to challenge the Tories’ pledge to meet a UN target on overseas aid. As William Hague expressed irritation with the defence secretary after the leaking of a second private letter to the prime minister, one senior Whitehall source said that Fox is convinced that a cabinet minister sanctioned the leaking in a deliberate act of sabotage. Fox found himself under pressure when a private letter, in which he raised questions about plans to place Britain’s commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on aid by 2013 on a statutory footing, appeared in the Times. The defence secretary does not believe that the foreign secretary or Downing Street was behind the leak. But he does believe that another minister on the national security council is seeking to damage him.  “That letter was distributed to the national security council which means that every cabinet minister with a seat on the NSC saw it,” the Whitehall source said. “There are departments which have form.”  – the Guardian

Huhne still under fire

Chris Huhne, the Energy Secretary, was forced to issue a fresh denial of wrongdoing last night after senior figures from within his own party raised doubts about his response to claims that he illegally persuaded his wife to take speeding points on his behalf. It was suggested yesterday that, when Mr Huhne went on camera earlier this week to dismiss the allegations, he was addressing historic claims that a female aide had taken the points on his behalf, rather than his estranged wife, Vicky Pryce. As the Cabinet minister faced growing calls to step aside, a leading Liberal Democrat told The Daily Telegraph that Mr Huhne’s response to Miss Pryce’s allegations “did not stack up” and “sharks are circling”. David Cameron, the Prime Minister, was yet to speak to Mr Huhne directly about the issue and had refrained from giving the minister his “full confidence”. Instead Mr Cameron relied on Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, to discuss the matter with his Lib Dem counterpart. The scale of Mr Huhne’s political isolation became clear yesterday when he was supported by just five ministers as he made a statement on climate change. – the Telegraph

Miliband calls for progressive council coalitions

Ed Miliband has urged Labour councillors to forge coalitions with the Liberal Democrats to run local authorities despite his party’s hostility to Nick Clegg for joining forces with David Cameron. A Labour circular leaked to The Independenttells the party’s councillors: “If Liberal Democrat groups/ councillors, who are committed to standing up to the unfair policies imposed by the Government, wish to join Labour in running the council then we should look to form locally progressive coalitions.” The move will be seen as Mr Miliband’s latest attempt to build links with the Liberal Democrats which could pave the way for a Lib-Lab coalition after the next general election. Although some Labour figures believe the party may struggle to win a majority under its own steam, Mr Miliband insists his strategy is to go all out for a Labour victory. – the Independent

Fox letter on aid budget leaked

Liam Fox has objected to the Government’s plans to protect spending on overseas aid and warned David Cameron that he “cannot support the proposal in its current form” according to a letter leaked to the Times. The Defence Secretary has reportedly discussed the issue with International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell and Foreign Secretary William Hague as well as in meetings with the Prime Minister. The Conservative manifesto promised to devote 0.7% of gross national income to international aid, but Dr Fox is believed to be concerned that committing the promise to law could leave the Government open to a legal challenge. The leaked letter is likely to be seen as an attempt to undermine the Prime Minister and Dr Fox is believed by some to still harbour leadership ambitions despite being pipped to the post by Mr Cameron in 2005. – Politics Home

Dr Fox’s letter, obtained by The Times, makes clear that he raised his concerns with International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell and Foreign Secretary William Hague before writing to the PM. “I have considered the issue carefully, and discussed it with Andrew and William Hague, but I cannot support the proposal in its current form,” wrote Dr Fox. “In 2009 the proportion of national income spent on ODA was only 0.52 per cent.” Putting the commitment no the statute books “could limit HMG(overnment)’s ability to change its mind about the pace at which it reaches the target in order to direct more resources toward other activities or programmes rather than aid”, warned the Defence Secretary. More stringent monitoring requirements may threaten the Ministry of Defence’s ability to report and fund some of its own activities as ODA, he said. And he warned: “I believe that creating a statutory requirement to spend 0.7 per cent ODA carries more risk in terms of potential future legal challenges than, as we have for the covenant, putting into statute recognition of the target and a commitment to an annual report against it. “The latter would be my preferred way to proceed.” Downing Street declined to comment on a leaked letter. – the Independent

Huhne denies wife’s claims

Chris Huhne, the Energy Secretary, put his political career on the line by saying he would welcome a police investigation into claims that he put pressure on his wife to take speeding penalty points on his behalf. As officers considered acting on a formal complaint against the Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister, he went before the cameras for the first time to dismiss claims by his now estranged wife, Vicky Pryce, as “simply incorrect”. Mr Huhne said of the allegations: “They have been made before and they have been shown to be untrue. And I very much welcome the referral to the police as it will draw a line under the matter. “I don’t want to say any more than that. I think the police can get to the bottom of this.” He made the 65-word statement as further details emerged of events on the night of the alleged offence and MPs raised fresh concerns about the harm the affair was causing the Government. – the Telegraph

The pressure on Chris Huhne will increase today as Labour accuses him of trying to duck MPs’ questions on the Government’s strategy for cutting Britain’s carbon emissions. The Liberal Democrat Energy and Climate Change Secretary is fighting to save his Cabinet career after allegations that he allowed another motorist to take points on their licence for a speeding offence he committed in 2003. His former wife, Vicky Pryce, has claimed that he “pressurised people” to take on the points in order to avoid a driving ban – which, if proved, could result in a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Yesterday Mr Huhne put a brave face on the initial inquiries being made by Essex police into the affair. “These allegations are incorrect. They have been made before and found to be untrue and I very much welcome the referral to the police as it will draw a line under the matter,” he told the BBC. – the Independent

MPs push for law to stop forced marriage

Forced marriage should be made a criminal offence to send a stronger message that it will not be tolerated, says a report by a cross-party group of MPs today, which criticises the lack of progress by successive governments on the issue. Organisations such as the Southall Black Sisters and the Honour Network Helpline, which provide vital support to those at risk of forced marriage, are under threat of closure because of funding cuts, warns the report. The cross-party Commons home affairs select committee says ministers and local authorities need to move quickly to prevent these services closing, which would “materially damage” ability to protect and support the victims of forced marriages. The report says forced marriage remains an issue that affects thousands of young people in Britain, and, while more at-risk individuals are seeking help, there is still insufficient support. “This situation is set to worsen, with many specialist services at risk from spending cuts,” it adds. – the Guardian

Social care changes floated by Cameron

Councils could lose some control of their multibillion-pound social care budgets to the NHS as part of the changes to the Government’s health reforms. At present, the NHS is only responsible for funding hospitals and GPs and does not control the budget for long-term care – particularly for the elderly. But yesterday, in a speech to healthcare professionals, David Cameron signalled that this divide could end as part of the Government health reforms. The Prime Minister said the changes “must tackle the longstanding and damaging divide between health and social care, including the bed blocking that still afflicts so many of our hospitals”. At the same time, Stephen Dorrell, the former Conservative Health Secretary and Chairman of the Health Select Committee, suggested that such a change could be included in a reform Health Bill. – the Independent