Wednesday, 29 July 2009

First ID cards and now...

"Home Secretary Alan Johnson has agreed to release previously unseen documents relating to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. Mr Johnson told the mothers of three of the 96 victims of his decision at a face-to-face meeting in London."

Johnson won some grudging support from the right when he took the long overdue decision to announce that ID cards won't be compulsory. With populist decisions like
this one
today it makes it even clearer just how much Gordon doesn't get it. This decision could/should have been made months ago and once again Johnson has outmaneuvered Brown and strengthen his position as the king over the water without displaying an ounce of disloyalty.

TB bumped into Alan Johnson last time he was in Parliament. He was walking around the place with a swagger that only the man who could be PM within months can pull off. A smile here, a handshake there, building up support without saying a word. Johnson is refusing to let the traditional graveyard reputation of the Home Office get the best of him.

He's a smart guy.

3 comments:

Northampton Saint said...

Jake Straw was sat infront of me at Jude Law's Hamlet last night.

Sorry but i failed in my John Wilkes Booth moment

Ross said...

The cards themselves might not be compulsory but the Government is still creating the National Identity Register and is still going to put everyone on it who applies for a passport.

The idea that entry on the database is voluntary because it only happens if you apply for a passport is of course nonsense. Many people don't have a choice in applying for a passport.

Plus the NIR was always the costly part of the scheme. Money is still being wasted, surveillance state is still being built; it was never really about the bits of plastic themselves, so nothing has changed.

Tory Outcast
said...

On the other hand he has removed the British flag from the design.

Anyone else tickled by the removal of the National flag from a National identity card?

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