Nick Clegg has defended the coalition's controversial NHS Bill during fiery exchanges with Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman in the Commons.
Standing in for David Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, the Lib Dem deputy prime minister said Andrew Lansley's Health and Social Care Bill would deliver a "more equal" NHS.
But Harman said Clegg should tell Lib Dem peers in the House of Lords to vote against the legislation on Monday in order to make sure it did not become law.
"People are still against this bill because it hasn't changed one bit," she said. "It's still a top down reorganisation."
She told MPs: "He could stop the bill but he wont. He says the Lib Dems make a difference but they don't. What has happend to that fine liberal tradition? They must be turning in their graves."
The Labour Party has been strongly lobbying to get the government to scrap its controversial health reforms which they say are too expensive and introduce too much private competition.
Harman said that Clegg was refusing to "stand up for the NHS" as "the only thing he stands up for is when the prime minister walks in the room".
Clegg hit back by accusing Labour of creating "sweetheart deals" for private sector providers in the NHS while in power, which the coalition was now scrapping.
"The shadow health secretary says it is irresponsible to increase NHS spending. They don't believe in more money for the NHS, we do," he said.
"They presided over inequality in the NHS which again we are making a statutory obligation in this bill to deliver a more equal outcome."
He added: "The Labour Party used to believe in reform, now they believe in starving the NHS of cash and failing to provide reform."
Clegg also dismissed accusations that his party had failed to influence the direction of the Bill.
"Some of her colleagues must think the Lib Dems make a difference because they were handing out leaflets in the conference in Gateshead while her leader was throwing a sickie and going to watch Hull City instead," he said.
Ed Miliband was recently criticised for saying he could not attend a rally on health care because he was ill but then deciding to go to a football match.
@ dylsharpe :
Unmemorable #PMQs. Clegg did well to repel the qus, when not angry. Harman good at condemning, but may regret tactic of slaughtering the LDs
@ AnushkaAsthana :
Harriet Harman says only thing Clegg stands up for is when the PM walks into the room. BOOM BOOM! #PMQs (Clegg getting angry - love it!)
@ JohnHigginson :
Harman kicks off with unemployment saying women are hardest hit. Clegg (doing very well so far) says went up under Labour by 20% #pmqs
@ joncraig :
Full house for Clegg PMQs on LibDem benches below gangway too. Whole House pretty packed despite PM away in US. Lots of LibDem MPs rising!
@ HumeBrophy :
Cameron’s spokeswoman tells The Sun’s Whitehall Correspondent "I'm sure the Deputy PM is more than qualified to fill [his] shoes at #PMQs”
@ joncraig :
LibDems out in force for Clegg PMQs. Danny Alexander & Michael Moore in plum seats on front bench, edging out Ken Clarke & Philip Hammond.
@ petermbarrett :
Willing to bet #Harman tries a 'gag' around #Cameron having been at a baseball game. Something about Coaltion 'swinging and missing' #pmqs
Nick Clegg has defended the coalition's controversial NHS Bill during fiery exchanges with Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman in the Commons.
Standing in for David Cameron at Prime Minister's Ques...
Nick Clegg has defended the coalition's controversial NHS Bill during fiery exchanges with Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman in the Commons.
Standing in for David Cameron at Prime Minister's Ques...
If the public knew how self-serving some elements of the NHS were they would have a great deal more sympathy for the government's efforts to reform the service.
I don't really want Labour back, I don't trust the Tories an inch, the Lib Dems have lost any credibility they may have had. I do not want the extremists like the BNP etc. So who on earth is there to vote for who may just for the first time do what the electorate elect them to do, who is there to vote for who can be trusted to be honest, who will give proper answers to questions. Who is there that will not say one thing in a manifesto and do the opposite when elected. Is there such a thing as a trustworthy political party? Yes we desperatley need a change but who have we got to to fill the criteria
lmtr: I don't really want Labour back, I don't trust the
Cleggy is now head of a dying party. He has taken them down a dark cul-de-sac and they'll suffer badly at the next election. They are now spinning more than even Blair did and not telling the public the truth. Their delay in releasing the Risk Register is a good example of this. I for one will never vote for them again. Trouble is who can you vote for these days. I think the only English party that has any credibility left is perhaps the Greens.
dalejohno: Cleggy is now head of a dying party. He has
That got you thinking hey, you Huffpost moderators...Hello gang, does anybody know Bill and Ben, plus something called Weed..Help...Were thay politicians from the past, were they Tories or what..Help....
mokgee: That got you thinking hey, you Huffpost moderators...Hello gang, does
Don't fall for that old opposition trick Josh. The predictable 3 are all in it together. None of them are capable of telling any truth. It is just a game of follow my lead, pretend to be the opposition, then you will get your turn on and on....
mokgee: Don't fall for that old opposition trick Josh. The predictable
I'll probably get vilified for this, but..... I think having the Liberal democrats within coalition with the Conservatives has worked very well for the country as a whole. Imagine if the Conservatives had a majority government and could do as they pleased? Think about that whilst hanging Clegg out to dry.
As for Harman.... Don't get me started on this excuse for a Labour party!!! I was a Labour voter, canvassed throughout Liverpool in the early Nineties for John Smith the then Labour leader and was leaned on to vote for Bliar as leader when JS died. (I wanted Roy Hattersley, a very clever man contrary to the way he was portrayed by spitting images.)
When Labour sold its soul and became a party of platitudes and inaction on vital issues (despite landslide Election wins) I forsook my membership and have never voted for them since. The only Balls Labour showed whilst in Government was Ed, and for that and a glorious wasted opportunity I will never vote for them again until they start coming up with some REAL policies, BRAVE policies, and FAIR policies for the poorer paid and undervalued hard working electorate.
ccraiglamont: I'll probably get vilified for this, but..... I think having
Everyones' entitled to their own opinion ofcourse'..But' by the time you re-assess you're voting intentions'..The Tories' will turn this society into something unmistakably rotten'..Even more rotten than it's turning out to be now....But by then'...It may be too late to reverse all the ills' that are taking place...Such as the NHS'..If ever there was only one issue I could vote on'...That would be my priority...We have seen the state of U.S, Style Healthcare'..and boy'..That scares to to death...Sorry' But Labour every time.Save Our NHS'...
casual_agent: Everyones' entitled to their own opinion ofcourse'..But' by the time
Clegg has lied and betrayed all of his principles just to hang on to Cameron's coat tails.
He always looks shifty these days because he knows that he betrayed people who voted for a Lib-dem agenda not a Tory one.
athelstan48: Clegg has lied and betrayed all of his principles just
athelstan48'..Well Said'....The LibDumbs'' sold there so-called priniples' for a hill of mouldy beans'..for a useless half-baked policy called AV'..and that system was used at their LibDumb' conference'..to vote on the Health Bill'...I don't think that needs a Univeristy Degree' to work out how stupid that voting system has turned out eh?
casual_agent: athelstan48'..Well Said'....The LibDumbs'' sold there so-called priniples' for a hill
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Posted: 14/03/2012 13:06 Updated: 14/03/2012 13:06