Jellyfish

Jobbing Doctor, in his latest post, expresses scepticism that Dave Cameron will U turn on the NHS reforms. I am not so sure, as he has done it before.

In my last post I mentioned that the regulations on purity and safety of herbal medicines quietly became law in April. This is something of a surprise, because just a few weeks before, the government were stating that they were going to defy the EU and block this law in the UK.

Now I do not actually think that for a government to change it’s mind is a sign of weakness or poor government. If Dave were to stand up and say that, on reflection, he had changed his mind, I would regard that as a sign of open mindedness and maturity, deserving of respect. As Cromwell once said, “Think it possible you may be mistaken”

But he hasn’t. With the herbal medicine law he has said the law would not happen, and then gone quiet as it went onto the statute books by stealth. I actually think it is a very good law, but that is not the point. The point is that Dave has been devious, weak and spineless by hoping no-one would notice his little U turn.

So it seems to me that Cameron is capable of U turning when he thinks it expedient, and his only real concern is in how to carry it off without losing face. The government, as a coalition, is insecure, and having Dave the invertebrate at the helm makes it even more so. 

Zorro would not mind betting that this parliament will not run the full term, and that the next general election will come sooner than we think.