The Lib Dem conference is always a chance to see which side of the party is winning the debate internally. Normally, the Left dominates the grassroots – which is why the party leadership always makes a bigger deal of criticising the Tories than it does although last year the economic liberals in the party tried to assert itself a little more. This year, the motions that members are debating do suggest that the Left is still coming out tops.
Take a look at the text of this motion, passed yesterday afternoon, called ‘Protecting Public Services and Making them Work’, which includes the line:
‘Ending the role of the Competition and Markets Authority in health, making the rules clear that the needs of patients will always come ahead of competition, and that services need not be put out to tender if local people are happy with them.’
This is a very interesting insight into the mindset of the party: that it passed a motion suggesting that competition and the needs of patients are somehow distinct and in conflict, rather than the former serving the latter by improving services.
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