Saturday 21 November 2009

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Wednesday, 10th June 2009

Now Lansley is sackable

Peter Hoskin 7:24pm

Well, well, well - it sounds as though Andrew Lansley's loose lips may have cost him his hitherto "unsackable" status.  Tim Montgomerie spoke to a source in Cameron's office about the shadow health secretary's "10 percent cuts" comment on Today this morning, and got the following response:

"No one is unsackable ... [Lansley] will not be forgiven another gaffe."
As Tim says, though, the main upshot of all this could be a more mature, more public debate about spending cuts than we've had at any point over the last decade.  If you want to prime yourself, then Fraser's earlier post is essential reading.

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Tracey

June 10th, 2009 7:34pm Report this comment

Cameron should do a reshuffle. Brown has done one so there is his excuse.

Carol-Ann

June 10th, 2009 7:34pm Report this comment

It's George Osborne that needs the sack!

bernerlap

June 10th, 2009 9:30pm Report this comment

Lansley is an idiot. he should have been sacked years ago. Willets is two brains looking for a department. It would be a very good idea to replace Lansley with him.
Ring fencing the NHS is silly there must be efficiency savings.

DM

June 10th, 2009 9:35pm Report this comment

All of us, political nerds and geeks that we are, know that spending is going to be cut by whoever wins power. Now the semi interested know now too. This is a good thing, and certainly not a sackable offence.
Well done Andrew Lansley for speaking the truth so that we have a bit more of a honest debate about the spending plans within the confines of the economic circumstances facing this country.

jaydeeaitch

June 10th, 2009 9:46pm Report this comment

Does this mean I don't have to learn who he is?

Tiberius

June 10th, 2009 10:20pm Report this comment

Why, Carol-Ann?

jon

June 11th, 2009 1:20am Report this comment

Cut everything apart from aid. We must borrow money to continue to send money to China that has trillions in us treasuries.

Cardinal Richelieu's mole

June 11th, 2009 3:28am Report this comment

Surely Lansley was acting under orders?

This issue of the affordable level of Government spending is central and must be open to proper scrutiny. Brown lies about cuts, as FN has reported, and Lansley's move has brought this all out.

Vulture

June 11th, 2009 9:51am Report this comment

Reshuffling and sacking Lansley would be a damn good idea. He's grey man personified - as befits a former Civil Servant. And while Dave's about it he should bring back Patrick Mercer to defence. A former serving soldier who actually knows what he's talking about. Only problem is that he despises Dave for the empty bag of PR wind that he is.

Outsider

June 11th, 2009 1:22pm Report this comment

What eaxactly was Lansley's gaffe?
I would say a politician speaking the truth is commendable.

Jack

June 12th, 2009 4:02pm Report this comment

Patrick Mercer is something of a hypocrite with his "I don't care who you work for, whether it is a milkman or the Prime Minister, you have to be loyal to your boss" rhetoric. When Mercer aided Brown a lot of Tory voters became very abusive. Mercer said it was like I'd assassinated the pope or something.

Patrick Mercer, seems to live in some bygone age and it’s an entirely different kind of war than those bygone days of the FRU in Ireland.

I think Cameron needs Mercer like the Army needs Benedict Arnold and many among the grassroots of the Party may have that very same perception.

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