Cameron says Haslar has no future - so why is Viggers calling for a Commons debate?

Peter Viggers, Gosport's elusive MP, has resurfaced and says he is going to call for a House of Commons debate on the future of Haslar.

After months of silence, he has been stung into action by the launch of a new campaign – led by his rivals, Gosport's Liberal Democrats – which cleverly sets out a plan for keeping hospital beds and services open after the MOD leaves via a Council-led take-over and redevelopment of the site which would generate enough revenue to keep it open. The Liberal Democrats have launched an online petition to put pressure on the MOD to hand over the site as soon as they leave so that health equipment doesn't deteriorate and become unusable.

Viggers' ploy is too little too late however. Nobody believes that the Conservatives – who systematically ran down the NHS when they were in power - have any intention of keeping Haslar Hospital open. David Cameron admitted as much: when asked by a reporter on The News, he answered that Haslar had “no future”.

Of course this greatly embarrassed Gosport Conservatives who are still shell-shocked from having lost control of the council. They have tried to claim that – whatever their party leader says – they are fighting to persuade the MOD to change their minds (not least with that grotesque banner hanging from above the Conservative Club on the High Street).

There's just one problem: if Gosport's Tories can't even persuade their own party leaders to do a U-turn, does anyone really believe they will succeed with the MOD?