Right wing Labour MP Frank Field yesterday appeared alongside David Cameron at an election event, suggesting that he would serve in a Cameron government.
The MP for Birkenhead, who backed ex-cabinet ministers Hoon and Hewitt’s attempted leadership coup against prime minister Brown, assured the audience at a presentation to launch a Demos think-tank inquiry into ‘character’, that he was not defecting to the Tories.
He claimed he was there because one of his long-standing interests is the role of parents in forming their children’s personalities.
The main speaker at the event, Cameron, heaped praise on Field saying that the ideas of the Tory party, including those of Iain Duncan Smith, were built on foundations laid down by Field.
The Tory leader said: ‘For a long time Frank has been willing to say the unsayable.
‘He has argued that the welfare state should be more than a money-redistribution system, but rather — in his words — “openly reward good behaviour and . . . be used to enhance those roles which the country values”.
‘He has drawn the link between family breakdown and “more instability, more crime, greater pressure on housing and social benefits”, arguing that a “fundamental principle of the welfare state should be to support families and children”.
‘When he first started talking about these things, no-one quite realised how important they are. Now we do.
‘His work has been built on by people like Iain Duncan Smith, organisations like Demos and — I would like to think — today’s Conservative Party.’
Speaking after Cameron, Field said: ‘I’m here today because I have been working on this area for a decade. I welcome what Demos has done today.
‘My constituents are more concerned about the issues not personalities. The coming election will be decided on the issues.’
He added that just ‘more of the same is not going to deliver the goal that has eluded us for the last decade’.
Meanwhile, Tory health adviser Julia Manning has said that making people pay for minor or ‘lifestyle’ illnesses could save the NHS £20 billion a year.
Manning is one of the party’s ‘A-list’ parliamentary candidates and likely to become a minister if a Tory government is elected.
She is currently director of the 2020Health.org think-tank, whose latest report suggests ending NHS fertility treatment, introducing new prescription charges and fining drunk patients.
In her report, Manning, wrote: ‘ “Diagnostic drift” or “disease-mongering” are draining the NHS of precious resources.
‘Examples of this include varicose veins, acne, short stature, IVF, cosmetic surgery and moderate increases in blood pressure or cholesterol.’
• Second news story
ROBINSON TO FOCUS ON POLICING
Under fire DUP leader Peter Robinson yesterday stepped down as Northern Ireland First Minister on a temporary basis, handing office to Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster.
His decision to step aside for six weeks was announced at a DUP senior officer’s meeting which decided to back him as party leader.
At 3.30pm, Foster told the Stormont Assembly she had assumed the first minister’s ‘functions while the first minister deals with his wife’s medical problems’.
She proceeded to read out a statement on Robinson’s behalf.
It said: ‘I continue to contend I have acted ethically and it is particularly painful at this time of great personal trauma that I have to defend myself from an unfounded and mischievous allegation.
‘As you know I have requested that an opinion be obtained from Senior Counsel in relation to the Ministerial Code and related aspects.
‘In addition the deputy First Minister has received advices from the Departmental Solicitors’ Office which do not present any complications of difficulties whatsoever.
‘I have asked for a Parliamentary and Assembly inquiry to be undertaken into these matters.
‘Throughout this period I will continue to work on the outstanding issues relating to policing and justice and some other matters.
‘This allows a particularly concentrated focus on these discussions and we will work to try to build on the agreements we have already reached so that a successful resolution can be reached. This is the year to deliver at Stormont for all the people of Northern Ireland.’
The statement said that Robinson will continue as leader of the DUP, adding: ‘I appreciate the unanimous support from my Assembly and Parliamentary colleagues this morning. I want to publicly thank them for all their support and kindness to me.’
Foster said Robinson has been advised by a government lawyer that he is not in breach of the ministerial code or any of the various ethical codes to which he is signed up.
She said that Robinson says that with his wife receiving acute psychiatric treatment, he needs to devote time to deal with family matters.
