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09/07/2003
Embattled PM warns party not to 'self destruct'
The Prime Minister has issued another rallying call to MPs today, following last night's unexpectedly strong backbench rebellion over foundation hospitals.
The government's voting majority of 164 MPs was whittled down to just 35 as the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill - containing the controversial Foundation Hospital trust clause - struggled through the Commons.
And today, Mr Blair told a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party to refocus on the reform of public services, and pleaded with the growing numbers of backbench dissenters to tow the line and not "self destruct".
This is the second appeal in less than a week following a speech in Liverpool on Friday where Mr Blair called on MPs - particularly left-wing members of the 'awkward squad' - to "remember who the enemy is" and fall in behind government policy.
But the backlash against Labour is set to continue as the party's relationship with the unions becomes more strained.
Unison, the UK’s largest health union, today vowed not to give up its opposition to Foundation Trusts and pledged to raise the issue at the next Labour Party Conference.
Unison’s Head of Health, Karen Jennings, said: “Unison will not give up the fight for the NHS. We don’t want to see a two-tier health service and its clear from the closeness of today’s vote that many MP’s don’t want it either.
"The government are in for a bumpy ride over the summer as opposition swells. And Unison will take the fight into the heart of Labour at its conference later this year.
“We all want to see reform in the NHS, but foundation trusts are a risky experiment that the public can ill afford. The public quite rightly expects to see real improvements for the unprecedented level of investment in the NHS.
"Sadly this money will now be diverted into creating even more bureaucracy. On the contrary instead of focusing on patients, foundation trusts will be forced to waste valuable time and resources preparing applications, filling in forms and pawing over the small print in contracts."
(GMcG)
The government's voting majority of 164 MPs was whittled down to just 35 as the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill - containing the controversial Foundation Hospital trust clause - struggled through the Commons.
And today, Mr Blair told a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party to refocus on the reform of public services, and pleaded with the growing numbers of backbench dissenters to tow the line and not "self destruct".
This is the second appeal in less than a week following a speech in Liverpool on Friday where Mr Blair called on MPs - particularly left-wing members of the 'awkward squad' - to "remember who the enemy is" and fall in behind government policy.
But the backlash against Labour is set to continue as the party's relationship with the unions becomes more strained.
Unison, the UK’s largest health union, today vowed not to give up its opposition to Foundation Trusts and pledged to raise the issue at the next Labour Party Conference.
Unison’s Head of Health, Karen Jennings, said: “Unison will not give up the fight for the NHS. We don’t want to see a two-tier health service and its clear from the closeness of today’s vote that many MP’s don’t want it either.
"The government are in for a bumpy ride over the summer as opposition swells. And Unison will take the fight into the heart of Labour at its conference later this year.
“We all want to see reform in the NHS, but foundation trusts are a risky experiment that the public can ill afford. The public quite rightly expects to see real improvements for the unprecedented level of investment in the NHS.
"Sadly this money will now be diverted into creating even more bureaucracy. On the contrary instead of focusing on patients, foundation trusts will be forced to waste valuable time and resources preparing applications, filling in forms and pawing over the small print in contracts."
(GMcG)
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