NATO/LIBYA
The soon to be retired American Defence Secretary, Robert Gates this week put the proverbial cat amongst NATO’s pigeons by announcing that the days of America picking up the NATO tab, i.e. 75% of total spending, whilst all of Europe cuts their defence budgets, are over. Robert Gates initially refused to support the NATO no-fly zone over Libya but President Obama and Hilary Clinton decided different. Gates’s departure from the Obama administration whilst said to be unrelated to Libya certainly comes at a difficult time for NATO. The success of the NATO mission in Libya has been defined and appears to be in the flux of redefinition from week to week and day to day. What started as the Arab Spring uprising, could be heading for a long winter in the Sahara desert for NATO.
Health Bill
This week Messrs Cameron and Clegg will publish the result of their “pause” of the Health Bill. I chaired the Bill through its House of Commons committee stages and if as reported this weekend the Bill is to be abandoned in all but name, I expect to Chair the “Lansley 2 Health Bill”, assuming Lansley survives the “pause”.
NATO/LIBYA // Health Bill
NATO/LIBYA
The soon to be retired American Defence Secretary, Robert Gates this week put the proverbial cat amongst NATO’s pigeons by announcing that the days of America picking up the NATO tab, i.e. 75% of total spending, whilst all of Europe cuts their defence budgets, are over. Robert Gates initially refused to support the NATO no-fly zone over Libya but President Obama and Hilary Clinton decided different. Gates’s departure from the Obama administration whilst said to be unrelated to Libya certainly comes at a difficult time for NATO. The success of the NATO mission in Libya has been defined and appears to be in the flux of redefinition from week to week and day to day. What started as the Arab Spring uprising, could be heading for a long winter in the Sahara desert for NATO.
Health Bill
This week Messrs Cameron and Clegg will publish the result of their “pause” of the Health Bill. I chaired the Bill through its House of Commons committee stages and if as reported this weekend the Bill is to be abandoned in all but name, I expect to Chair the “Lansley 2 Health Bill”, assuming Lansley survives the “pause”.