The Waugh Room

Monday 12th September 2011 | 17:00

Libs to debate, not vote, on NHS

I've just been to the Lib Dem pre-conference press briefing, hosted by Nick Clegg's PPS Norman Lamb.

In keeping with the party's reputation for hosting the "friendly games" of the three main conferences, Lamb was affability itself and advisers were on hand to explain the minutiae of internal democracy.

The key message was that the party will be bolder and more "assertive":

"Coalition is a work in progress. I think we have been more assertive [in recent months]. We don't want to overplay our hand and we won't overplay our hand, but we want to ensure that people are clear about what we bring to the table."

Lamb stressed that the party had a responsibility to be "cohesive and professional" in Government, while adding again "this will be an assertive conference".

But not quite as assertive as it could have been. For Lamb then went on to explain how the party has decided to hold an emergency topical debate on the NHS - yet will not stage a vote on any specific motion.

The party will instead just have an hour to debate "Health", with no peg on which to hang a particlar gripe and certainly no policy-making power.

Lamb pointed out that there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss the NHS: a Q&A to Nick Clegg on Monday of conference, a special NHS Reform Report Back Q&A with Paul Burstow and John Pugh on Tuesday, and finally the "topical issue" debate on Wednesday.

But it's clear that Evan Harris has failed in his attempt to get his motion voted on. It turns out that on Saturday, the party's Federal Conference Committee (FCC) decided to reject an appeal by Harris et al to get their motion on the agenda. The motion would have required Parliament to take note of serious concerns over the Lansley bill and could have caused a few political problems.

Lamb insisted that it was not 'the leadership' which rejected the Harris motion, but the FCC, which is elected by activists. In the end, it accepted a compromise move by former LGA Lib Dem chief Richard Kemp to have a topical debate - but no vote - on the NHS. Normally the topical debate is just half an hour but it will be a full hour.

Under standing orders, there is a chance for delegates to challenge the decision to exclude the Harris motion. But no one is holding their breath.

Lamb says: "The full policy position was established at the spring conference. There was a good and robust debate on that in the spring and it would be unusual to return to [the policy] at the next conference."

Clegg, Lansley and Cameron will certainly be pleased that at least one squall has been avoided ahead of the passage of the NHS bill to the Lords.

Still, Lib Dem peers could get some signals if not mandates from the conference. The debate will be "an opportunity for people to send a clear message to the party and the Parliament", Lamb said.

Let's see if Shirl the Pearl takes that cue and has them in the palm of her hand on the Wednesday of conference. And let's see just how sympathetic or robust Clegg is in response when he make his set-piece speech later that day.

Perhaps the real story of this conference is in the delegate types: we learned today that the number of activist delegates is down by a "few hundred", but the number of media and corporate/business delegates is up by more than 200.

That's Government for you.