NHS Reform: Shirley rides to the rescue...

So, Liberal Democrat Conference has voted to debate the leadership favoured alternative in the emergency motion ballot, by a margin of 309 to 280. And the majority, small that it was, includes me.

There's no doubt that such a margin demonstrates how important the work of the Lords has been in revising what was a very poor piece of legislation. And, whilst the public debate has centered on what was in the original bill, I would rather have us debate what we now have, rather than what others would like us to believe.

I'm intrigued by the protests. They have been emotional, many entirely genuine. However, I feel it only right that  Conference has the opportunity to hear for itself what has been done to reflect the concerns expressed in Sheffield last spring.

And tomorrow, we'll see if Conference thinks that it is enough...