Fast Track for ID Cards--Guardian, UK

[Gloria]

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/queensspeech2005/story/0,16013,1484810,00.html


Fast track for ID cards

Ministers hope Tory disarray will let contested bill through

Alan Travis, Tania Branigan and Rebecca Smithers
Monday May 16, 2005
The Guardian

The cabinet has decided to rush through its controversial identity cards legislation, one of the centrepieces of tomorrow's Queen's Speech, to try to take advantage of the Tories' post-election disarray to get it through the Commons, Whitehall sources have confirmed.

Ministers privately believe they can overcome any renewed Labour rebellion over the legislation by relying on the backing or abstention of some Tory MPs to get it through its second reading vote within a fortnight.

Article continues
They have also made it clear that they will use the Parliament Act to force through the House of Lords their equally contentious plans for a new criminal offence of incitement to religious hatred.

Peers have rejected this proposal twice in the last four years on grounds of "free speech", but ministers have told Muslim groups that as it was a manifesto commitment they would now be justified in invoking the Parliament Act to override opposition.

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[merwin]

1. Hmm.. I'm seeing some similarities between Blair and Bush.

[ngGale]

2. Now the UK will know how we feel...

Bush and Blair pushing their agenda, to hell with what the people think.