Government defeat in Lords on ID Cards Bill

Following the heavy defeat for the Government in the Lords on it's plans to introduce an Identity Cards scheme there is a widespread belief in the Commons that the Government will now have to completely reassess its plans.

John McDonnell MP, Chair of the Campaign Group of Labour MPs, said

“As it presently stands the ID Cards Bill is now dead in the water. The Lords have followed the Commons in raising fundamental objections to this ill-thought out scheme, and have holed it below the water line.

“The Government must recognise that it cannot succeed in trying to force through proposals which have met such widespread opposition and it must withdraw.

“Unless we now enter into a period of meaningful negotiations in which the Government accepts that there must be substantial changes, there is no chance that it will be able to get this Bill through without a protracted and divisive battle”

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