'Lib Dems will be remembered as party who stole votes to sell out the NHS'

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham's call to postpone passing the Bill through its final hurdle in Parliament until the release of an assessment into its risks lost by 82 votes.

The Health and Social Care Bill will now be sent to receive Royal Assent and is set to become law before Easter.

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas asked Mr Burnham if he shared her "surprise and sadness" that the Lib Dems were trooping through the Lobby in support of a dangerous Bill.

Mr Burnham responded: "From today Lib Dems will be remembered not only for tuition fees but as the party that stole people's votes in May 2012 in order to secure jobs for themselves and sell out the NHS."

He pledged to "mitigate the worst effects" of the reforms, assuring that the party would "repeal this legislation at the first opportunity and restore the N in the NHS."

The debate was compared to "the siege of Stalingrad" by Labour MP and Health Committee member Grahame Morris, who left his sick bed to attend the debate.

"We are rolling back the forces of oppression," Mr Morris said. "I content myself, with my cough and sore throat, that at least the Red Army was victorious on that occasion."

He accused the government of a "bunker mentality" in refusing to publish the register which would have shown the potential risks to patients and services from the reforms.

Mr Morris added: "Tory-Lib Dem Cabinet members banged their table in delight and glee at the prospect of the health Bill finally being rammed through and becoming law. That leaves a very sour taste in the mouth."

Keep Our NHS Public co-chairwoman Professor Wendy Savage warned Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has "inflicted permanent damage on his own party."

She said: "The struggle against this dreadful Bill is only beginning. And the high political price to be paid by those MPs who backed it is only just starting to become clear.

"We will make sure that the Bill is an albatross around the neck of the coalition government from now until the next general election."

The campaign group added that hundreds of battles will be fought across the country in upcoming years against the worst aspects of the changes.

willstone@peoples-press.com