Peter Hoskin

Lansley’s holding on — for now

After originally deploying Sayeeda Warsi against ConservativeHome’s anti-Health Bill sentiment, David Cameron is now doing his fighting for himself. He has an article in today’s Sunday Times (£) that says, with no equivocation, ‘I am at one with Andrew Lansley, the reform programme and the legislation going through parliament’. And, aside from that, it’s also an unusually spirited explanation of just what the government plans to achieve by these reforms. Much better than Cameron’s wavering performance in PMQs on Wednesday.

For all its spirit, though, this article doesn’t come across as angry. There is a mention for ‘today’s opponents of reform,’ but nothing that could really be interpreted as a warning against the dissenting ministers on Cameron’s own side. What’s clear is that the Prime Minister doesn’t want to exacerbate Tory tensions, only face them down — and it’s understandable why.

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