Morning Report – May 9th

So we’re back to normal – whatever that is – in Westminster today, and the NHS is at the top of the agenda. There’s an opposition day debate on the health service today, and shadow health secretary John Healey must have been delighted to see that his major criticism of Lansley’s plans has been echoed by GPs. Their submission to the new government consultation on the plans is scathing, and these are the people who the Tories want to run the NHS. Tough times ahead for Andrew Lansley.

Will it be George Osborne who is under fire next though, as even the uber-Tory Telegraph says that austerity measures are “taking their toll” and that the Bank of England looks set to downgrade growth forecasts “yet again”. When the Telegraph are getting twitchy about Tory economic policies, you know they’re in trouble.

The coalition agreement is under scrutiny (plus ca change) today – this time over Lords reform. The Times (£) suggests that the Lib Dems have been tricked by the Tories into believing that the coalition agreement supports Lord reform. The Times suggests that it only backs proposing the legislation, rather than backing it. Clegg is facing AV all over again. Then again, as we have seen before, Nick Clegg is sketchy on the details of the coalition agreement. Hardly surprising…

There are still plenty of people pushing for a Lab-Lib rapprochement in today’s papers. Jackie Ashley says that it is a “distant inevitability”. How wonderfully vague. It is likely that Labour and the Lib Dems will one day work together, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be in the short term.

And one politician to keep an eye out for this week is Chris “Hiding” Huhne. He could be in trouble over his driving, and someone clearly has it in for him. He is blaming Tory dirty tricks, but there are plenty of people on his own side who would love to bring the uppity Environment secretary down a peg or seven. Expect him to face the full force of the dark arts this week…