Lansley sacked – Hunt in charge of NHS

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ARCHITECT of the hated Health and Social Care Act, Andrew Lansley was sacked as Health Secretary and replaced by Murdoch acolyte and former Arts Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday in Cameron’s Cabinet reshuffle.

Chris Grayling replaced Kenneth Clarke as Justice Secretary, and Transport Secretary Justine Greening was sacked along with Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman and Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan.

Greening was replaced by former Chief Whip Patrick McLoughlin.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson criticised the moving of Greening, widely regarded as a sign the government may rethink its approach to air capacity in the south of England.

He said her opposition to Heathrow expansion was the ‘only possible’ reason for the change.

Commenting on the replacement of Greening by McLoughlin, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: ‘This is business as usual as far as the RMT is concerned.

‘We can expect Patrick McLoughlin to pursue the same cuts and privatisation agenda mapped out in the government’s McNulty Rail Review.

‘RMT promise him an all-out political and industrial fight to stop job losses, fare increases, ticket office closures and profiteering.

‘The new Transport Secretary will also have the toxic West Coast franchise shambles dumped straight on his desk and there’s plenty of mileage left in that fight as we expose the bankrupt shambles of rail privatisation foisted on the British people by an earlier Tory Government.’

Following the removal of Clarke as Justice Secretary, Civil rights group Reprieve demanded the dropping of the secret courts bill.

Reprieve’s Executive Director, Clare Algar, said: ‘This is a chance for the Ministry of Justice to drop its dangerous plans for secret courts.

‘The Justice and Security Bill would allow the government to cover up its own involvement in serious crimes such as torture, while destroying centuries-old British legal freedoms.

‘Ministers should not be given the power to kick the other side out of court simply in order to avoid embarassment – but this is precisely what this Bill would allow.’