Identity Cards Bill

The noble Baroness gave a wonderful Freudian slip. She listed a number of documents and said, ““We have absolutely no power of designating them””. But then she takes the power to designate them. Those of us on this side of the House who care about civil liberties find that desperately frightening and unattractive. I wish that the Government could understand that. When the noble Baroness says that the electorate elected her, of course that is right; I do not mean the noble Baroness, nor me—but I draw her attention to the fact that I have slightly more electors than she does, arcane though they may be. I am dredging a quotation up from the back of my mind, which goes, ““Those who ring the bells will wring their hands later””. That is what I suspect will happen with the public over this Bill. This Government will not be here to reap the whirlwind or whatever you do from dragon’s teeth. I am afraid that all one can say is that.