04.06.14
Dorrell quits as health select committee chair
Stephen Dorrell MP has resigned as health select committee chair with immediate effect.
The former health secretary has held the position since 2010.
Dorrell is due to appear tonight on a panel at the NHS Confederation conference in Liverpool with three other former health ministers – Edwina Currie, Frank Dobson and Alan Milburn – to “consider lessons learned from their own time as a health secretary, and offer their perspective on the political challenges in healthcare in the run-up to the next election”.
In his resignation letter, Dorrell said: “I have tried to chair the health committee in a way which emphasises the broad measure of agreement which I believe exists across party divisions on key on key objectives of health policy.
“Although these objectives are widely shared, however, I believe it is becoming obvious that in the future we shall need to think in a completely different way about how they are met and I have concluded that, in a pre-election period, I can make a more effective contribution to this developing thought process from a less overtly political position.”
Anoosh Chakelian reported for the New Statesman that there are “rumours that Dorrell, 62, who served as health secretary under John Major and knows the brief thoroughly, may be standing down to prepare for the next Tory reshuffle. It could be a wise move for David Cameron to bring him back into the government fold”. Dorrell has denied that.
Tory MP Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, who first announced Dorrell’s departure via Twitter, called him an “outstanding” chair of the health committee, and said she was sorry to hear of his decision.
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