Bloodsport in the Commons as Clegg makes NHS concession

Nick Clegg is having a right old day of it at the centre of the political storm – social mobility, NHS reform aftermath, what did Oliver Letwin really say to Boris?

To add to the interest, he’s just signalled a new concession on the government’s NHS reforms.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that there “should be nothing doctrinaire” about the point at which new GP commissioning consortia are formed and if people aren’t ready by April 2013 we should live with that and be prepared for delay.

That sounded like a new concession on the timetable – although not the bigger stuff being looked for by Stephen Dorrell and the Health Select committee – diluting the GP consortia with patients, nurses and others.

Nick Clegg said that “the basic ideas” in Andrew Lansley’s reforms were “the right approach” but that it was important “we get the details right.”

Listening to him this morning on LBC saying that “pressing ahead regardless” would be “reckless” you might think he had very big changes to the NHS plans in mind. I don’t think he does, as things stand.

Watching DPM’s questions is quite an eye opener. Labour benches maintain a very high volume of aggressive heckling throughout.

It’s become a bit of a bloodsport. One Labour backbencher shouted “toff” repeatedly at the top of his voice throughout a Nick Clegg answer.

On internships and social mobility Nick Clegg was just tackled in the Commons about a story in the Evening Standard. He admitted that he had got internships himself after his father “had a word” with a friend at a Finnish Bank. His later job with Leon Brittain and the European Commission was helped by a friendly word from Lord Carrington.

Mr Clegg suggested a lot of people in the Commons had enjoyed similar help. The point was: change the system.