Stephen's Week
April 3, 2006 12:13 PM
By Stephen Williams MP
By Stephen Williams MP
WEDNESDAY 29th MARCH 2006
Caught the train up to London. I was still under doctor's orders to rest but my chicken pox spots had mainly cleared from my face (if not quite elsewhere!) and I was no longer infectious. I was determined to vote for possibly the last time on the ID Cards Bill.
Wednesday's business normally finishes at 7pm so I thought I would be back home in Bristol by late evening. But when the Commons are dealing with Lords amendments the timetable gets skewed. So in the early afternoon the government again rejected a Lords amendment asking for a delay in the compulsory part of the scheme. There then followed a rather dull Consumer Credit debate that should have been over with in under an hour but a small number of Tory MPs filibustered until 9.30pm.
It then became clear why. The Tories in the Lords had decided to cave in and Cameron had decided not to oppose the Bill any further in the Commons. The Tories have always been schizophrenic on ID cards. The libertarians like David Davies are genuinely opposed. But the authoritarians only ever opposed the government out of opportunism. Michael Howard was in favour of ID cards and don't forget David Cameron was his policy coordinator in the run up to the last general election. The Tory whips were spending the evening telling their colleagues to go home rather than vote against the government again.
Poor David Davies was left on his own on the Tory front bench defending the about turn through gritted teeth. The deal done with the government gave Charles Clarke virtually everything. We will have to supply our ID information (eye scans, finger prints, etc) from 2008 - yes in just two years, but won't have to posses a card until 2010!
When it came to the vote it was only the Liberal Democrats, a handful of Labour rebels, a handful of Tories and the nationalists who opposed the government. I think this is a huge mistake by Cameron. He will now have even less credibility if he dares to claim to be a liberal Conservative again. The vote doesn't finish till 10.50pm so I decide to stay in London.
THURSDAY 30th
Day spent catching up with things in my Westminster office. Parliament is quiet as it's the last day before Easter recess.
FRIDAY 31st MARCH
To Addiction Recovery Agency in King Street to hear about their work with drug and alcohol users. Their role is to help addicts switch to abstinence and clean lives.
Afternoon to SS Great Britain for Ming Campbell's first visit to Bristol as party leader. He enjoys being shown round the ship, does photos with several council candidates and a round of media interviews.
In the evening to Wills Hall for the Bristol West Annual Dinner. We have over a hundred people and the evening was a great success. About £1,500 was raised and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was the first time I had made a speech from the "top table" in what was my old hall of residence. Wills was my first home in Bristol when I came here, almost 21 years ago!
WEEKEND
Helped deliver some "Flying Start" leaflets in Horfield for the start of the local elections campaign. Also went back to SSGB with my mother for a proper look round as a tourist!
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