Testing the health of the coalition

Listening is seriously damaging the coalition’s health. The Sunday Mirror carries a report that chimes with a week of rumours in Westminster: the NHS reforms are going to be significantly diluted to appease warring Liberal Democrats. The Mirror adds that Lansley is likely to quit in protest.

Matt d’Ancona argues, in his essential column this morning, that this is not a listening exercise but a ‘full blown carefully orchestrated retreat’. It is, if you will, a political version of the battle of Arnhem: the NHS reforms were a reform too far in this parliament, so tactical withdrawal is now imperative. Clegg and Cameron’s signatures are on the original White Paper. They have since made a great show about their differences, a cunning subterfuge designed to limit collateral damage as they press ahead with radical reform elsewhere. Lansley, it seems, will probably be expended on the bridge for the greater good.