Safe for the Moment

A venerable and much-loved British institution was saved from significant and traumatic alteration today as two amendments to Twizzler Lansley's anti-NHS bill were voted down. One amendment, which would have stopped the bill, was defeated by a hundred and thirty-four votes; another, which would have kicked it into some medium-length grass, was defeated by sixty-eight votes. By coincidence, since the Bullingdon Club took over Downing Street Daveybloke and his cuddly chums have created a hundred and sixteen life peers. Wee Nicky's Deputy Conservatives, eighty of whom voted to preserve the Twizzler's wrecking bill in its present form, can sit back and congratulate themselves on perpetrating an even more superb demonstration of liberal values than last year's display of integrity over tuition fees; and that venerable and much-loved British institution, the House of Donors, can doubtless breathe a sigh of relief at having bought its way out of any significant reform during the present parliament.