New politics, old school

Times and politics are changing, just ask any North African despot, and nowhere more than in Westminster it seems where the concept of collective responsibility has broadened beyond ministerial parameters.

Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Public Administration select committee, said the treatment of Dr Sarah Wollaston, the newly elected MP for Totnes, showed that Cameron's claim to be ushering in a "new politics" was a sham.

The Observer reports that Wollaston has concerns about specific elements of the NHS bill which ministers are pushing through at pace. While broadly supporting its overall aims she has upset a few colleagues by publicly revealing how party whips have attempted to enforce her silent compliance and that she would need to “shut the f*** up” if she was asked to serve of the committee that will scrutinise the Health and Social Care Bill .

“I was not prepared to accept that", said Wollaston.

Older hands who are vaguely bemused by this whinging have since thrown up their arms at the spectacle of Jenkin, who has plenty of form as one of John Major's “bastards”, rushing to the Devon MPs defence.

His attack however is not too surprising as the man who gave the 92-97 government a few wobbles has since been voicing criticisms of David Cameron’s willingness to indulge Europe to the extent that the PM’s aides are digging deep to uncover rumoured connections between the former "Maastricht rebel" and another former europhobe party vice-president, Lord Ashcroft. But even if evidence is found, few think that Cameron would have sufficient backing (or bottle) to strip the outspoken Jenkin of his committee chairmanship.

Conservative party managers are understandably worried that health professionals connected to the party are sceptical of key aspects of planned reforms and a succession of compromises are expected. For the time being, and whilst “new politics” may be thoroughly damned, we can expect the whips to endeavour in their task of explaining to Dr Wollaston how sustained contact with the likes of Bernard Jenkin and Bill Cash could be hazardous to her health.