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The Health and Social Care Bill: what next for the Liberal Democrats?
Submitted by Mark Pack on 12-09-2011
The plan for the party’s autumn conference was straight-forward: talk up the party’s achievements in getting the Health and Social Care Bill changed, have a question & answer session to let people discuss but not disrupt the revised legislation and move on to talk about other issues.
That plan has been under assault, however, from health rebels within the Liberal Democrats who do not believe the changes have gone far enough. Spear-headed by Shirley Williams and Evan Harris they have been pressing for further changes, with a debate at conference being the method to deliver them.
The initial attempt at getting a health motion on the agenda was rebuffed by the party’s Federal Conference Committee (FCC), given the presence of the Q&A session on the agenda anyway. So now Harris and co are both pressing ahead with an appeal against the decision, threatening to try to overturn the decision with a vote on the FCC’s report at conference and also putting in an emergency motion on the topic. Emergency motions then get put in a ballot where conference representatives vote to pick which one(s) to debate.
Readers whose eyes are glazing over at the triple procedural assault risk missing the bigger picture – these sorts of procedural details are the ways in which major government policy gets shaped in the world of a coalition government involving a party which still has meaningful internal democracy for its policy processes. And the details don’t stop there…
The most likely outcome at this stage looks to be the emergency motion route. It lets the FCC stick to its agenda guns, it avoids a vote on overturning its decision (a risky proposition for the health rebels to push as that would require a two-thirds majority and could cause significantly practical organisational problems) and it puts the onus back on the rebels to win the emergency motions ballot to get the motion debated. It also allows opponents of the rebels to quietly amass votes for other motions in the ballot (such as on the London riots), which could make for some interesting voting patterns…
But the downside? If the health motion won through on the emergency motions ballot, it would get debated on the Wednesday of party conference – just before Nick Clegg’s keynote speech and to a roomful of journalists desperately looking for something interesting to say about a party leader’s conference speech.
I’m not half looking forward to conference.
UPDATE: Ah, there was another procedural option I didn't mention and lo... that is the one that has been picked by the party's senior figures: there will be one of the topical disucssions without a vote on health. That then gives a solid defence against letting either the original motion or the emergency motion on to the agenda - all while avoiding a potentially confrontational vote.
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Nothing to stop someone
Nothing to stop someone asking people how they'd vote if they were allowed to now is there?!
We need a debate
The internal democratic procedures of the Lib Dems may well be a minefield (in the context of which this post is a paragon of clarity!), but the upshot of the FCC's decisions is that Conference will be denied the opportunity to exercise its usual democratic role in setting the Party's policy.
Accepting the need for debate, the FCC has at least scheduled a 'topical debate' on the NHS reforms - but as this won't be followed by a vote and can't set policy, it isn't a strong statement on what Lib Dem members make of the health reforms. As such this is little more than an attempt to placate those wanting to discuss the merits or otherwise of the Health and Social Care Bill, whilst protecting the leadership from embarrassment - an attempt that is not likely to win over the vast majority within the party that is pleased with the changes Lib Dems have made to the Bill but seek to have it changed further to avoid damaging the NHS.
And a point of order if I may. Referring to those Lib Dems who seek a democratic, open debate on policy; who support the Party's position on healthcare and that in the Coalition agreement but will not support going beyond either; who understand that Conference is a chance to show the public that not all Lib Dems support the reforms; referring to us as rebels is somewhat disingenuous given that the overwhelming majority of the Party backed precisely this stance at the Spring conference.
Conference hopes...
A lot of people outside the Lib Dems hope tjhat the motion will be debated and voted upon. Dr Charles West has produced an excellent, and succinct, list of all that is wrong with the Bill. Dr West, of course, was behind the NHS motion at the Spring Conference. Sadly, even though the motion was passed, the government (a *coalition* that includes the Lib Dems) paid little attention to the motion.
Sadly, if all of Dr West's points were applied to the Bill there would be little left of it. This bill is personal for Lansley and he will resist any changes to it. Dr West's second attempt to neuter a thoroughly bad bill will be thwarted by Lansley. The interesting thing will be to see the reaction of Lib Dems when the second time their conference has produced policy that is ignored by Lansley. How long will it take before Lib Dems realise that the Conservatives are not interested in working *with* you?
Sandra: There's certainly an
Sandra: There's certainly an argument to be had over whether it should be voted on for a second time, but Sheffield conference did see a debate and vote.
or what is better known as a cop-out from the FCC
This wasn't in the manifesto or the coalition agreement and should therefore be fully debated and put to a vote!
Right now, it looks like those 'pseudo-democracy' that pretend to have elections but don't let serious opposition candidates on the ballot.
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