Cameron denies ‘complete mess’ in health and justice reforms

Prime minister gives full backing to justice secretary Kenneth Clarke, saying he has ‘plenty more fuel left in his tank’ David Cameron has denied that his government has made a “complete mess” of health and justice reforms amid claims of two major policy U-turns on the same day. The prime minister also gave his full backing to the justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, saying he has “plenty more fuel left in his tank”. The defence came after the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, seized on reports that Cameron has ditched controversial plans to introduce a 50% prison sentencing discount for an early guilty plea after holding talks with Clarke on Tuesday. Miliband told Cameron at prime minister’s questions: “He knows, and the whole country knows, he’s in a total mess on his sentencing policy, just like on all his other crime policy.” The Labour leader also accused Cameron of being in a “complete mess” over his health plans after the announcement on Tuesday that the prime minister was abandoning key elements of health secretary Andrew Lansley’s, original blueprint for health reforms. He pledged changes to deadlines, competition, funding and waiting times, causing consternation among many Conservative MPs. Cameron had changed course because he had been “found out” over his plans to turn the NHS into a “free market free-for-all” , Miliband said. Cameron dismissed Miliband’s attacks, accusing him of “empty opposition”, “weak leadership” and “jumping on a series of bandwagons”. Miliband turned first to sentencing policy, asking Cameron to confirm reports that he had “torn up” a key plank of the justice secretary’s policy on sentencing. The prime minister did not answer directly, but said: “What we want is tough sentences for serious offenders. “We produced a consultation paper that had widespread support for many of the proposals that it made and, in the coming weeks, we will be publishing our legislation.” He said it was the Labour government that introduced a one-third discount on sentences, and lent his support to Clarke when asked by the Tory MP Philip Hollobone why magistrates were forced to retire at 70 when the justice secretary, who appoints them, is 71 later this year. Cameron said: “It is important that you get turnover in the magistrates so that new people come in. To be fair to the lord chancellor, he has only been in his job for a year – he’s doing a superb job, and I can tell you there is plenty more fuel in his tank.” On the NHS, the prime minister said the review of the plans was conducted because the government “wanted to get these right”. He added that there had been “widespread support” for the review from the shadow health secretary, John Healey. “What he [Miliband] calls a shambles, his shadow health secretary calls good government,” Cameron said. “He’s not really in command of the ship.” Miliband said Cameron had made a series of promises before the election, such as no more top-down reorganisations of the NHS, because he was “completely shameless and he will say anything”. He said the prime minister “didn’t think the policy through”, such as the decision, last June, to stop enforcing the 18-week target, claiming that the amount of patients waiting longer than 18 weeks had gone up by 69%. The prime minister said Miliband’s performance at the dispatch box suggested he “wasn’t thinking about politics on his honeymoon”. Cameron said median waiting times had gone down and claimed Miliband had misled the house about the issue two weeks ago, prompting an intervention from the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, who urged him to withdraw the remark in line with protocol. Cameron said: “What I meant, of course … he gave an interesting use of facts in terms of waiting times, which are down in the NHS.” Miliband responded: “The whole house will notice he didn’t withdraw that, and obviously he is rattled about the health service. “After a year, he’s proved the oldest truth in politics – you can’t trust the Tories on the NHS.” David Cameron Ed Miliband PMQs House of Commons Labour Kenneth Clarke Conservatives Liberal-Conservative coalition Prisons and probation Health policy Health Public services policy UK criminal justice Hélène Mulholland guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 8, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.