Opposition parties planning repeal of “Gregfest” laws

An Opposition insider said: “It seems that we’re running out of ideas.”

One of the government’s flagship proposals has been the introduction of prescription charges, which is opposed by other parties including the Classical Liberals and Labour.

Opposition parties are planning to repeal laws introduced by the government as part of the “Gregfest” series of bills – named after the then Minister Without Portfolio who wrote them – in addition to the bill which allowed the re-introduction of prescription charges, tabelled after the initial 18 by the deputy prime minister, Friedmanite19, and then Health Secretary charlotte_star. Two of the bills to do this have been shown to the Guardian by Saltcon editor Padanub, who first received the information from an anonymous source before passing it on.

“Gregfest” took place earlier this year and saw the government repealing laws introduced by left wing governments. This included votes at 16, restrictions on protest policing, and laws regarding the use of anti-homeless spikes, repealing restrictions of their use on private property while toughening the restrictions on public property – though this was later amended to only achieve the latter. The bills sparked a great deal of outrage from opposition parties but have been seen by the government as “moderate reforms” aimed at undoing the work of “far-left governments” led by the now defunct Radical Socialist party.

The Guardian has seen the drafts of a proposed NHS Prescriptions and Charges (Abolition) Bill 2019 and Representation of the People (Votes at 16) Bill 2019, both of which have cross party support. Classical Liberal Deputy Leader Tommy1Boys is listed as an author on both bills, while the NHS Prescriptions and Charges (Abolition) Bill is co-authored by Twistednuke. This bill also has Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the People’s Movement, Green-Left (who are listed as the Green party) and the SDP listed as sponsors, while the version of the Representation of the People (Votes at 16) Bill 2019 seen by the Guardian currently lists Labour as co-sponsor, with space for other parties to be added.

Both bills are relatively straightforward. The fresh Representation of the People Bill reverses that introduced by the government earlier this term, reverting the voting age back to 16 for various elections, while the current draft of the NHS Prescriptions and Charges (Abolition) Bill appears unfinished but looks set to re-apply a block on charges from prescriptions and non-cosmetic surgeries which is in the process of being repealed by the government.

An anonymous opposition insider said of the bills: “It seems that we’re running out of ideas – going on the same ideas we’ve been trying for ages. A fresh start is surely needed, but nobody has come to what should be an obvious suggestion yet.” This was a characterisation that Mr Boys strongly rejected when asked for his response by the Guardian: “I passionately believe in the two bills which are in the early phase of drafting. Prescription charges hurt the worst off in society.

“This Government is telling a single mother if they want to see their children grow up, they need to pay an extra tax. Is that opposition member suggesting I just ignore that? This Government has told 16 and 17 year olds that they do not deserve a say in our political system. That they should shut up and go away. Is that opposition member saying I should just ignore that? I believe strongly that it is the right thing to do to overturn some of the dangerous policies put forward by this Government, and I will continue to fight for this, whatever anonymous opposition members may brief out against me.”

Asked whether his claims about the impact of prescription charges on the “worst off” and single parents – with those earning 80% of the average income or less and those aged under 16 exempted from the new system – were accurate, Mr Boys said: “So let me take an example. If you are earning 24,000 and you have say three children as a single mother, you are hardly well off. This Government is telling them if they get ill, they have to pay to survive. So yes, it is accurate. I’m talking about the mother, not the children. The children are exempt yes.”

“A single mother earning 24k with three children is not exempt according to this Government. Some in politics may claim that they are well off earning that money, that just shows how out of touch they are. And with that, I have to go,” he said, when pushed on whether he accepted that the new system did have provisions for the “worst off” and that it was likely that a similar number of prescriptions would be dispensed for free – 90% – as under the old system.

An official opposition spokesperson told the Guardian: “A fresh start is of course surely needed, however for it to be obtained we must focus on undoing all regressive and damaging legislation fronted by the blurple government. A fresh start cannot begin while our country continues to be plagued by “Gregfest” which we have bitterly opposed from the beginning.

“We find it untrue and unfair to cite that we are running out of ideas when it’s clear we can’t move forward before we return from how far this nation has backtracked. Believe me, the opposition are just getting started and we intend to demonstrate that both during this coming election and when we take position in government.” He also confirmed that opposition parties did have a full policy plan for the August general election, alongside the repeal of government legislation.