Is the GP stance on the White Paper crumbling?

Key to Lansley's privatisation of the NHS is getting GPs on side: if Lansley cannot get their approval the idea will die. The BMA have a long established principle of Keep Our NHS Public and therefore the BMA's General Practitioners Committee (GPC) also hold this view and have provided their opinions through a document called The principles of GP commissioning which includes the statement

"wherever possible, consortia should ensure that NHS providers are the providers of choice."

This has now been challenged by the NHS Confederation are warning that this could be illegal (Healthcare Republic):

Nigel Edwards, NHS Confederation acting chief executive, said GP commissioners should not ‘simply dismiss what non-NHS organisations can offer.’ ‘This principle is doubtful in law and unwise in practice,’ he said.

As I have said before, divide and conquer is the way to achieve your goal, and here is clearly a case of GPs divided.