Rebel MPs fail to kill ID card bill

Rebel Labour MPs failed to block the passage of the controversial ID Cards bill despite slashing Prime Minister Tony Blair's already slender majority by more than half in Tuesday's House of Commons vote.

A three-line party whip ensured the government's 66-seat majority was never under serious threat but the bill still only squeezed through by 25 votes and now moves to the House of Lords where it faces closer scrutiny and tougher opposition.

During the debate leading up to the vote, the government was again criticised over the cost and supposed benefits of ID cards and for curtailing the amount of time allocated for MPs to discuss the bill.

Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said: "The claims that ministers make are overblown. They move glibly from one issue to another as each justification is demolished and ultimately we know that the bill will not work."

Conservative MP Edward Garnier said MPs should be "ashamed" of a bill that amounts to little more than a "denial of democracy".

But Home Secretary Charles Clarke said: "It will provide an effective mechanism to tackle crime, to reduce identity fraud and to improve legitimate access to services. I believe that it will not remove civil liberties but will give an individual greater control over his identity."

He also revealed that since the previous ID cards vote, the project has passed another Office of Government Commerce review on business justification and has been given the green light to move to the next phase.

But several amendments to the bill proposed by rebel Labour MPs and opposition parties - including allowing people to opt out of having their details included on the national identity register and scrapping any fee for the ID card - were also defeated by the government.

If the bill is rejected by the Lords then Blair would be forced to invoke the Parliament Act to get ID cards on the statute book. It is unusual, however, for the Lords to vote down any bill included as an election manifesto pledge by the government and it is more likely that a compromise would be agreed through further concessions.

Microsoft joined critics of the scheme yesterday slamming the technology plans as flawed and saying that a central national identity database will massively increase the risk of fraud and ID theft.