Clarke Remains Defiant After Lords Defeat
Home Secretary Charles Clarke has vowed to battle on with his proposed ID cards legislation after it was defeated in the Lords last night. Their Lordships, many of whom come from a law background, feel that making the cards compulsary, is an infringement of people's human rights, and as such, is beyond the power of Government. They duly voted 227 to 166 against the proposal last night. Whether Mr. Clarke will use the Parliament Act to shove the Bill down the Peers' throats remains to be seen. The parliamentary ping-pong continues.
New Immigration System Unveiled
Charles Clarke again. The Home Secretary has today unveiled a plan for a new "points-based" immigration system, which is aimed to stop abuse of the existing system by some immigrants. The proposals seem to be lifted directly from the 2005 Tory election manifesto, and indeed, Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green praised the proposed system. Clarke also called for the industry and education sectors to realise their share of responsibility when it comes to immigration.