Nick Clegg will oppose the idea of a regulator promoting competition as part of NHS reforms, the BBC has learned.

It places him in opposition to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley who wants more competition to drive down prices.

In his analysis, political editor Nick Robinson said we are witnessing the "curious spectacle" of Nick Clegg and David Cameron "competing publicly for the credit in undoing the reforms that they themselves proposed".

Earlier on the programme, health minister Simon Burns said that Nick Clegg's views are "part of the listening process" that would be taken account of in the reform pause.

But former Lib Dem health spokesman Dr Evan Harris said that the move "is not a contribution, it's a veto".

The Lib Dems would not allow the mass-marketisation of the NHS, he said, and would not allow private companies to "cherry pick" and "cream skim" the most profitable parts of the health service.

But Conservative backbencher Peter Bone, who used to sit on the health select committee, said that the Lib Dems were changing their strategy because of the local election results, and that the reform should continue.

"What they are planning to do is improve the health service, not destroy it," he said. "I really can't understand why politicians who signed up on this policy a few months ago… are now changing their mind."

The introduction of private and charitable competition, while keeping the NHS free at the point of use, would simply make the health service more efficient and cheaper, he said.

"It's very difficult how you could oppose that, unless you're sticking up for some state system for dinosaurs."

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