Identity Cards Bill

My Lords, it is true. With the two main parties approximately equal, the Liberal Democrats hold the balance. All they need to do is to wait until a disputed issue arises in the House, ally themselves with the main opposition party and thereby create constitutional chaos. That cannot be right. We have to begin to produce a sensible de facto working relationship between the two Houses. That ought to contain a proper disputes-resolution procedure, rather more formal than the present ones. Until now, it has been unnecessary because this House has had a somewhat restrained view of its powers and responsibilities. How often have we heard it said—we heard it said again this afternoon—that the function of the House of Lords is to make the House of Commons think again? We have sent this issue back three times. Three times the House of Commons has thought, and three times it has returned it to us. Surely to goodness that is enough. The Conservative Opposition have had experience of government. They know that the McNally thesis would make the legislative process virtually unworkable. The fact is that the British constitution works by a combination of accepted formal conventions and many informal understandings. After all, what else are the usual channels? To tear up those conventions and deny those understandings is a very dangerous course indeed. Of course Parliament can do it if it wishes, but I am bound to say that an arm’s-length relationship between the two Houses and an over-reliance on the Parliament Act would not be an improvement on what we have at present. So, for constitutional reasons, it is important that this House now accepts the will of the other place. I do not expect the Liberal Democrats to appreciate that—when all is said and done, their chances of actually forming a government are fairly remote—but I do expect the Conservative Opposition to appreciate it. They should realise—indeed, they probably now do—that the time has now come. I really think they should vote accordingly.