No phrase has seemed truer, or at least to the Westminster Government.
I'm talking of course about the Health Bill currently struggling its way through the House of Lords.
The bill - fortunately - does not affect the NHS up here in Scotland, and mightily glad we should be too. Nearly every health professional - including an ex-NHS chief - are practically screaming at the Lansley and Cameron to drop the proposals, as it will almost certainly create a two tier system.
Part of the problem is that most of the Cabinet have almost certainly got private health care. I have no objections to this, since anyone using private medicine takes some pressure off the NHS - breast implants excepted it seems.
It seems that political pride has taken priority over commonsense. Why does Cameron insist on driving this Bill through, when just about every health professional is saying it is a bag of nails? Is the coalition really that shaky?
And the most incomprehensible action is by the Lib Dems. Already facing wipeout over their reverse on tuition fees, they are keeping Conservative policy in place, when they could redeem themselves by rejecting all their support.
It seems the current crop of politicians, like so many others, cannot bring themselves to publicly admitting a mistake and looking at alternatives. This Bill could bring down the Westminster Government and possibly force a General Election.
And that could present the SNP with a problem. If there was an election, they would have to fight it with independence as a priority. If the votes failed to come in, would there be any point in the Referendum? Of course, if there were substantial gains, then might they not be persuaded to bring forward the Referendum?
All great in theory, and given the state of the Lib Dems a confidence vote would likely fail. But I'll bet Alex has one eye turned firmly towards Westminster at present.
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