Over 70% of ConHome panellists want Lansley's reforms to go ahead

by Paul Goodman

2pm update: I've now written about Downing Street's retreat from the Lansley plan (see below) here.  I don't read the Health Secretary as a quitter, and expect Cameron to get his way. But Lansley would be entitled to feel hard done by given that Number 10 signed up to his White Paper.  And if there's a go-slow on reform - and rising costs - the Health Department's question for Osborne will be: can we have yet more money, please?

Andrew Lansley's health reforms are attacked this morning by both Norman Tebbit and David Owen - and it was reported yesterday that Downing Street is trying to water them down, but facing strong resistance from the Health Secretary.

73% of respondents to our monthly poll said that they would "like the reforms to proceed", and almost 60% said that if the reforms are significantly amended "this will be seen as a victory for the Liberal Democrats".  Almost 85% say that the changes are necessary to help get better NHS value for money.

However, only 29% of respondents believe that Andrew Lansley "has done a good job in explaining the NHS reforms", and over 70 per cent say that "if the NHS reforms go wrong it will be hard for David Cameron to win the next election.

So support for the Health Secretary's plans is coupled with caution about the political consequences.  I've written twice about their risks and opportunities - here and here - and will update this post if, as is my intention at the moment, I write about the matter again later today.