Sir David Nicholson questioned by MPs over Mid Staffs scandal: Politics live blog Sir David Nicholson, chief executive of the NHS in England, is giving evidence to the Commons health committee this morning and the hearing will illuminate a fasincating power struggle that has been bubbling away for the last few weeks. The MPs want to question Nicholson about Robert Francis's report into the scandal at Mid Staffordshire hospital trust, where hundreds of patients are deemed to have died unnecessarily because of abysmal care. Nicholson was chief executive of West Midlands strategic health authority while the crisis was unfolding and he is now under pressure to resign. Interestingly, though, it is not the opposition that is taking the lead in demanding Nicholson's head. Two conservative newspapers, the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, have been most vocal in calling for Nicholson's resignation. David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, have defended Nicholson, and so this is a struggle that pits the press against the government, and conservative editors against Conservative ministers. Twenty-two MPs (mostly Conservatives) have signed a Commons early day motion calling for Nicholson's resignation. And in the Daily Telegraph today Sarah Wollaston, the Conservative MP and GP, has an article explaining why she agrees. The NHS's chairman, Prof Grant, said last week: "We look, David, to you to provide us with the leadership as we take through an exceptionally challenging set of changes." That leadership will hang like a dark cloud over the credibility of the new NHS Commissioning Board, which takes up its full statutory duties and responsibilities on 1 April. His presence undermines confidence that the board understands the gravity of past failings, let alone has the will to cure them. The health select committee has no power to fire Sir David Nicholson, but he needs to reflect on the consequences of losing the trust of the public and NHS staff. He may have the myopic confidence of the NHS's board but that is not enough; the real "Nicholson Challenge" is for someone to make it clear that it is inconceivable for him to continue leading the NHS. I will be covering the hearing in detail, as well as all the reaction to it. Otherwise, it's relatively quiet. Here's the agenda for the day. 9am: Norman Lamb, the health minister, gives a speech to Reform on social care. 9.30am: Sir David Nicholson, the NHS chief executive, gives evidence to the Commons health committee about the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal. 10.30am: The trial of Vicky Pryce, Chris Huhne's ex-wife, resumes. The jury is due to retire to consider its verdict. 11.30am: William Hague, the foreign secretary, takes questions in the Commons. 12.30pm: Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, makes a statement in the Commons on military bases. As Nick Hopkins report, Hammond will say that more than 11,000 troops currently based in Germany will return to Britain within three years as part of a major restructuring of the army that will require ministers to spend £1bn on new military homes. 3pm: The Local Government Association gives evidence to the Commons environment committee on the contamination of beef products. As usual, I'll also be covering all the breaking political news as well as looking at the papers and bringing you the best politics from the web. I'll post a lunchtime summary at about 1pm and another in the afternoon. If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm on @AndrewSparrow.