i'm joined now by tim gardner, a senior policy fellow at the health foundation.was december and possibly january so bad ? joining us. why was december and possibly january so bad? the nhs is clearly under enormous pressure at the moment. there are a number of reasons for that. we are living longer, but we aren't necessarily living healthier. there are more of us. demand for the nhs goes up by 4% per year. the government has increased funding for the nhs, but that hasn't kept pace with growing cost pressures. so, there are more patients using the service, there is the extra cost of new technologies and treatments, and filling staff shortages with costly agency staff is also a burden. particularly in winter, when the cold weather means that underlying health conditions can that underlying health conditions ca n flare that underlying health conditions canflare up that underlying health conditions can flare up and there is flu around, more respiratory disease, and at the same time there is more pressure on hospitals through more beds being lost to winter vomiting bug

tim farron, the liberal democrat leader. we also have barry gardneretary, and quasi—parting, the conservative mp. why did you vote against your party three line whip? because i am voting on what i regard as the national interest and the interests of my constituents. this decision today put us on an escalator which we would be able to get off for an automatic leaving of the european union in two years, whether or not we getan union in two years, whether or not we get an agreement. frankly, the government did not accept any of the amendments which would have given parliament a greater say and given us parliament a greater say and given us questions to deal with relating to common security policy, the rights of eu nationals in this country. the british people put us on the escalator. they voted to leave the european union, not the customs union, the single market ought to make people more pure. the decision we have taken today risks and economic and political disaster. diane abbott voted for the bill. there was a lot of speculation. that is irrelevant. i