Bloggerheads

BBC – ID cards set for Commons grilling: Ministers are facing more criticism over plans to introduce identity cards, the day before the bill is given its second reading in the Commons. According to the London School of Economics the scheme could cost 18bn – tripling government estimates of 6bn. Newspaper reports have alleged that information held on the cards will be sold to private companies. But immigration minister Tony McNulty insisted the reports were “complete and utter nonsense”.

The Scum Says: Unions are there to protect their members, not play politics. No one elected the heads of Unison or the TGWU to spout forth on national issues like ID cards. By leaning on union-affiliated Labour MPs, the Brothers hope to torpedo the Government’s policy. Don’t they want to stop fraud, terrorism, crime and benefits cheats? If they do, they must first stop abusing their power.

Bwahahahahahahaahahahahahaha! Funny, I don’t remember voting for Rebekah Wade or Rupert Murdoch, either. As for unions not being about politics… well, I’m sure Tom will have a clear view on that.

Meanwhile, in The Land Of The Narrow Margin…

Independent – Rebel MPs warned: toe line or lose your place in the sun: Whips seek to control dissident backbenchers by withholding all-expenses-paid official trips to exotic locations

UPDATE – It will be interesting to see how Tom votes after this feedback. Boris plans on sticking with his original ‘no’ (and, erm… attending the vote this time).

UPDATE – The Scum Says: Tony Blair insists that having an ID card and passport will cost no more than 100 pounds. This nails the claims of those who oppose the cards that they could cost as much as 300 pounds.

Bwahahahahahahahahaha! The claims are nailed because… Tony says so?

The Scum also take the time to repeat this vital message: How can fighting crime, fraud and terrorism be anything but good?

Some words from Tony Benn for you to read and share, and also a rare blog entry from Boris:

Tony Benn – In the name of security: Since the attack on the twin towers, in which many innocent Americans were killed, we have been told that we are engaged in a war against terrorism that threatens our way of life and our liberties. From that moment on we have been asked to adopt a whole range of measures that pose what many believe could be a greater threat to those very liberties and to our way of life… The prime minister himself moves within a cocoon of highly armed guards, whereas Harold Wilson had a single officer from the Met with a revolver in his pocket. Even when Mrs Thatcher was nearly blown up in Brighton no such stringent measures were proposed. Next comes the Serious Crime and Disorder Act, under which the home secretary has been authorised to declare an exclusion zone around the Commons. This will silence – and could imprison – Brian Haw, who, far from being guilty of serious crime or disorder, has been preaching peace in Parliament Square and denouncing the war that has killed far more innocent Iraqis than the number of people who died on 9/11.

Boris Johnson – Racial and Religious Hatred Bill: Second Reading: I simply want to add my voice to the general and growing chorus of those who believe that this bill is bad, ill-thought out, and likely to do far more harm than good. In trying to create a new offence, of incitement to religious hatred, I believe the government is on the verge of an almost mediaeval repression of free speech.