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Showdown looms on identity cards MPs and peers may face
an all night sitting as deadlock continues over ministers' plans to
force all passport applicants to get an identity card. The Lords say the government's plan is not "voluntary", as promised in Labour's election manifesto. Mr Clarke says the plan is consistent with the manifesto. If there is no deal the plan could ping-pong between the Commons and Lords all night. On Tuesday the House of Lords backed a compromise amendment by crossbench former cabinet Secretary Lord Armstrong allowing people to opt out of the scheme until 2011. 'Swift conclusion' That now returns for a fifth time to the Commons where MPs are expected to again overturn the Lords amendment - with peers then asked to vote on it again on Wednesday evening. If they stand firm it will be sent back again to the Commons - a process that could be repeated all night, if ministers try to force the issue, or for months. Mr Clarke originally indicated that the Bill could bounce between the two Houses for months but his patience is now reported to have run out. Home Office minister Andy Burnham has demanded a "swift conclusion" of the stand-off. "We have now had a long debate and it is time to bring it to a conclusion," he said in the wake of the latest Lords defeat. "My view is that the settled majority in the Commons reflects opinion in the country: support for the principle of identity cards but a wish to see costs kept down and efficient delivery." He said the Lords' amendment would "lead to extra costs and a more complicated implementation process" and he did not believe the public would support it. He added: "The fact is that this debate has now gone beyond the technical issues around the issuing of identity cards and is about a point of constitutional principle. "I am pleased to see the majority going down. But, for the health of Parliamentary democracy, this matter now needs to be brought to a swift conclusion." Last March the Commons and the House of Lords became locked in a 32-hour marathon over controversial anti-terror laws - the longest sitting in Lords' history. If the deadlock is not broken the Government could ultimately use the Parliament Act to overrule the House of Lords and force the legislation through. --------------------------------------------------- Please help our fight against the New World Order by giving a donation. As bandwidth costs increase, the only way we can stay online and expand is with your support. Please consider giving a monthly or one-off donation for whatever you can afford. You can pay securely by either credit card or Paypal. Click here to donate. |
