By Andy McCue, 20 March 2006 17:40
NEWS
Peers in the House of Lords defeated the government's ID cards bill for a fourth time on Monday, after offering a compromise that would make ID card registration voluntary until 2011.
The Lords voted by 211 votes to 175, a majority of 36, in favour of the new amendment proposed by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Phillips of Sudbury that would make it voluntary for people applying for passports to register for an ID card until 2011.
The ID cards bill will now go back again to MPs in the House of Commons who will vote on the new amendment later this week. The bill has become a deadlocked battle of parliamentary 'ping-pong' in recent weeks with neither MPs nor peers prepared to back down.
The House of Lords claims the government is introducing "compulsion by stealth" and going back on its election manifesto pledge to introduce ID cards initially on a voluntary basis by forcing people to register for an ID card when they renew their passport from 2008.
Lord Phillips described it as a "citizen's amendment" and said it was "disreputable and dishonest" to pretend compulsory is actually voluntary.
Conservative peer Lord Saatchi hit back at the government's claims that a passport is a voluntary document which people are not forced to hold, saying citizens need to produce a passport when carrying out daily tasks such as applying for bank accounts.
He said: "It's not possible for a British citizen to carry out basic tasks without a passport. No government should be allowed to insult the intelligence of the public in this way."But Home Office minister Baroness Scotland of Asthal said peers should drop their opposition to the ID cards bill, respect the superiority of the House of Commons and "bow to their mandate".
Home Secretary Charles Clarke has threatened to use the Parliament Act to force the bill through in the next session if the Lords continues its opposition to the bill.
Comments
There are 5 comments. Join the discussion
1. Karen Challinor
So we are supposed to trust the government not to abuse the information it gathers if it gets compulsory ID cards through are we.
This being the same government that accepts substantial loans and then gives the same people peerages in a totally unrelated act of genorosity, but since the names of the loanees are secret the correlation isn't made until one of them kicks up a stink because theirs fails to come through.
This being the same government that pays no attention to the will of the people when they take to the streets to say please don't send our troops to Iraq. Only now they are looking long and hard at Iran, maybe Iraq was a typo ?
This being the same government thats overseeing the NHS collapse while telling everyone that its all fine really,
This being the same government that has removed our right to free speech by denying the right to peaceful protest within one mile of parliament square unless prior approval has been obtained from the police. You can now be arrested for wearing a T shirt with a slogan that can be interpreted as a political statement unless you ask permission first.
Not a chance, I don't trust them as far as I can throw the houses of parliament.
Please please please write to the crown if the government tries to introduce the parliament act and ask them not to support the motion, the lords are our last line of defense and if they are this vehement in their opposition then they know somethings wrong.
2. anonymous
As one who voted for Bush Let the ding dongs force through this ID bill. It only brings the end of the ages that much closer. Man we live in exciting times. To think that prophecy is actually coming to pass with the reliance on the technology to keep "us" safe. What a bunch of nimrods. I now know that it is true that if one will not receive a love for the truth that strong delusion willl be sent to those who will be lost.
3. Andrew Snell
The House of Lords needs to stick to its guns and allow this government to continue to demonstrate their arrogance and disregard for the parliamentary constitution that they are meant to respect and obey. Clearly the public are not yet willing to wake up and accept that we the public have told the government by our previous inaction that it is acceptable to lie and mislead us in order to achieve their end goals. Just like the Iraq 'intelligence' fiasco.
4. anonymous
I moved to the UK from South Africa 25 years ago. It was a shock to find a society that didnt care.
When Uncle Tony and his people loving labour party arrived, I was really pleased.
I should have looked at history. The little people are the most dangerous ones. They want control and want to run your life, to tie anything and everything down. ID cards are but the beginning.
The Torys dont care, and didnt care what you did.
Labour does care very much and they will do anything to stop it. Regardless
The good news is - if you look at history - the little crack pots are eventually overturned, problem is they do a hell of a lot of damage in the mean time.
5. anonymous
Mandate? what Mandate?
This has to be one of the most unpopular things out there, yet the govt. still insist on 'winning' regardless.
More fool them.