Standing Committee – ID Cards Bill

Over at the NO2ID Blog they comment on a response given by Tony McNulty, minister for immigration and a supporter of the Bill currently going through its standing committee stage. The blog entry refers to Mr McNulty’s answer to a question about names. His response – clearly made in jest is this:

“Regarding the legal issues raised by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland – something-or-other Carmichael, but that is his business – there are other legal elements in Scottish and English law that need to prevail. The hon. Gentleman should not worry; we will tell him in the end what his name is.”

As the blog points out – no one is laughing. However, prompted by the post, I decided to read the transcript for myself. It makes depressing reading. When people pick up on the loopholes in the bill – as did a Mr Wallace who was concerned about "Day of the Jackal" type identity theft and the possible loophole in the bill, McNulty responded thus:

“Well done, and ra ra ra for the Freddie Forsyth expert. ”The Day of the Jackal” is clearly a shorthand descriptor for the use of another person’s identity to create a false ID. Of course I am aware that the database applies only to over-16s. We are in our second sitting only, but that wins the prize for the most obtuse intervention thus far. It was not a literal comparison with one of Forsyth’s rather second-rate – but better than Jeffrey Archer’s – novels.”

Is this really the standard of debate we are to expect from a government minister? Barracking, ridiculing and hectoring anyone who dares to dissent from his viewpoint? Here I see an absolute failure to take serious points seriously and respond accordingly. Insulting the author of a book who isn’t present neatly sidesteps the question being posed. It also tells me an awful lot about Mr McNulty and it isn’t a pleasant picture.

I am appalled that such odious, egotistic, patronising, sanctimonious buffoons represent us in the House of Commons.