So, now, according to Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, the NHS reforms are a “disruptive revolution”.
Amazing how a kicking at the polls can focus one’s mind. In January, he thought the Health and Social Care Bill was simply smashing and a great example of coalition government.
Of course, he’s not the only one in danger of losing his job. Poor old Andrew Lansley is looking increasingly like P45 material.
He waited seven years to get the job, but one year in his ministerial future is looking bleak.
Crucially, he failed to bring the profession with him. And it was a bit of a tactical mistake to say there would be no more top down reorganisations five minutes before proposing the mother of all top-down reorganisations.
First, some obscure rapper did a decent job of summing up the public mood on the reforms (“So fall back, Your face looks like a shrivelled up ball sack, The stuff that you say is bull crap, I’m sure Andy Pandy snorts crack, Health Minister? I mean sinister, You know the public will finish yer, Is your brain really that miniature?, You’re full of crap, Give yourself and enema”).
And you know you’re in trouble when some bright spark dubs Hitler’s speech from inside his bunker in your name.
(“My career is over. I will forever be known as the minister who got bitch slapped over the Liberal Democrats.”)
It all signals either an early return to cabinet for the Lib Dems’ David Laws, or a long-awaited return to cabinet for Stephen Dorrell.
Andrew Lansley? Well at least he’ll have time to catch up on his back issues of The Lancet.
Tags: Health policy, Humour
