Anyone asked why the government is pushing NHS reform now, rather than in two year’s time? They think, and I’m inclined to believe, that if the reforms go through and things get better or stay the same, there will be no problems politically at the next election (those who are opposed to them vehmently might still attack the reformed NHS, but public opinion will be somewhere else).

This is only likely to be a politically-difficult issue if the Liberal Democrats make some sort of stand (unlikely despite their posturing – they have to concede some ground to the Conservatives occasionally, and this is a popular policy in that party), or if the results are disastrous. Otherwise, it will be a case of Labour having to state where it stands on the new NHS structures, which could present its own traps for them to fall into.

Try this by Nicholas Timmins, the public policy editor, in Thursday’s FT:

Coalition teeters close to farce
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/331385ee-816e-11e0-9c83-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1MsxTTSBC

From that and other FT news reports, I’m getting the distinct impression that the FT regards Clegg as a waste of space. Mind you, Clegg has nailed himself to Osborne’s plans for cutting public spending – because “there is no alternative” – and that is not the line of the well-regarded FT economists. But what would they know?

What an extraordinarily leading question. It’s almost explicit in its implication that Lansley doesn’t genuinely want to listen to the public’s views, right before it asks whether Lansley genuinely wants to listen to the public’s views.

I quite agree with the point of course, and I’m sure there are many more people in the UK who feel they are not being listened to on the NHS than feel they are. But data like this are far too easily dismissed. The debate would be far better served by a more rigorous survey that’s designed to uncover the facts rather than simply to produce a strong response. A more honest question might not have generated such impressive numbers, but they would have been numbers that the other side could not ignore.

How is that a leading question? Government want to reform NHS, opposition to plans, Government start listening period. Will he listen or not?

How would you have written it?

Whether or not Andrew Lansley does or does not genuinely want to listen to the public’s views, the same survey tells us that only 1% definitely know how to take part in Andrew Lansley’s listening exercise (a further 4% ‘think’ they know). So even if he is listening, he won’t hear much.

Meanwhile a more recent YouGov poll shows that only 21% of voters think The NHS needs reform, and the current government’s policies are taking broadly the right direction, the same proportion who think there should be no major change at all. Even only 53% of Conservatives agree and only 18% of Lib Dems.

How many people think that this or any government listens to the people on any given issue? I ask because there’s a tendency for people to opine that all politicians are self-serving liars, under the mistaken belief that it makes them look clever.