Tuesday 4 September 2012

Andrew Lansley In Quotes +Updated+

"Andrew Lansley could make himself a legacy greater than that of almost any other Health Secretary in history,"
Prof John Britton, September 1st 2012
Andrew Lansley has been replaced as Health Secretary by Jeremy Hunt as part of an extensive government reshuffle.
BBC News, September 4th 2012

Does 3 days count as a 'legacy'?
"We don't want to work in partnership with Andrew Lansley because we are trying to arrive at a point where he has no business in this country."
Dick and the Jewel Robbers, September 4th 2012

So then, Mr Hunt, are your balls big enough, and located where they're supposed to be, to tackle the unelected, unaccountable, self-administering prohibitionist civil servants at the Department of Health? Or are you going to juggle them on your chin like Lansley has been doing in the past year?

We're all ears.

UPDATE: Guido reports that Paul Burstow has also been kicked out of the Department of Health in favour of Norman Lamb.

So we have gone from this attitude:
Paul Burstow MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, said:

"This is further evidence that passive smoking kills. Ministers should introduce a ban on smoking in enclosed public places to protect people working in bars and restaurants from the effects of second hand smoke. This was recommended by their own chief medical officer last year. A ban should be on a national basis and not a piecemeal ban which only takes in certain parts of the country."

Health minister Paul Burstow said: "The health and economic benefits of stopping tobacco displays far outweigh the costs of covering displays.

"But we know there is no single answer to cutting smoking rates. That is why we will soon be consulting on plain packaging of cigarettes and whether this could be an effective way to reduce smoking take-up."
To this one:
Shops will be ordered to keep cigarettes 'under the counter' in an attempt to cut smoking rates among children.

Liberal Democrat spokesman Norman Lamb said: 'This is the nanny state going too far.'
Hmmm, encouraging.



10 comments:

Jay said...

I suppose we'll see what happens...

Have you seen the some of the antis moaning on Twitter about losing Lansley for the cause? It's funny. One wonders if they really had Lansely in their pocket all this time.

Dick_Puddlecote said...

Hadn't seen any, no. Ta for that. :)


Interesting times, especially since uber-prohibitionist Burstow has got the chop too.

Patnurse said...

I can't see that tobacco control industry stooge's tweet. maybe I'm blocked after the debate I had with him as to whether Crapman was an arsehole or mother teresa. .

Patnurse said...

I hope it signals the release of the jackboot but I wait to see what happens and the result of plain packaging. we've been conned before.

Jay said...

try this image. http://i.imgur.com/Xxoam.jpg

Ivan_Denisovich said...

Surely nobody is suggesting that the great Ben Goldacre is anything less than strictly objective when it comes to public health. The great man is a scientist after all and objectivity is the very cornerstone of scientific endeavour.

Dick_Puddlecote said...

Pfft! You're such a card. ;)

Tony said...

Come on peeps for Christ's sake these people are politicians! They'll change their spots at the drop of a hat, it's what they do. This is already a set agenda and they'll have nobody rocking any boats, mark my words.


Just look at how the fools renege on their manifesto promises all the God damn time.

Mr A said...

And Milton!!

P JH said...

"So then, Mr Hunt, are your balls big enough, and located where they're
supposed to be, to tackle the unelected, unaccountable,
self-administering prohibitionist civil servants at the Department of
Health? "

No. He's going to ban smoking even more because even an atom of smoke could probably kill a whole city. Or something; he thinks homeopathy works.