Labour start attacking the NHS reforms – but did they need to?

So, the Labour Party has finally woken up to the idea that there might be some mileage in opposing the Government’s health reforms. Throughout much of this year a predictable alliance of the perennially opposed – doctors, health unions, Liberal Democrats, among others – has maintained a barrage of malice and misinformation against the Health and Social Care Bill. Nothing in their tactics, from their arrogant assumption of a monopoly of concern for ‘patients’ to their endless whining about ‘privatisation’, has come as much surprise.  The only remotely unusual thing about their campaign has been Labour’s near-total absence from it.

Andy Burnham, who was made shadow health secretary last month, clearly wants to change this. Yesterday he launched Labour’s own ‘Drop the Bill’ campaign, which he tells us in full Henry V mode will be the ‘final rallying cry’. ‘It is time for [the Government] to drop this Bill and let the NHS focus on the financial challenge’, says Mr Burnham, thus aligning himself almost exactly with another former health secretary, Stephen Dorrell.