Voluntary ID Cards
The Big Brother Party, sorry, the ruling New Labour Party wants to introduce voluntary ID cards. I’ve mentioned this before. I don’t have a problem if it’s a voluntary scheme. I simply won’t be applying for one, however, yesterday I happened to listen to part of the debate in the House of Lords concerning the new Bill.
It would seem that if you apply for a new passport, or apply to renew your current one, you will be obliged to have an ID card as well. No option.
Somebody quizzed Baroness Scotland (bad name methinks) about this suggesting that this meant it would be compulsory rather than voluntary to have an ID card if applying for a new/renewed passport. Good point I thought.
Then I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Baroness Scotland, in her infinite wisdom, bless her cotton-white knee-lengths, replied that, as far as she knew, applying for a new/renewed passport had always been completely voluntary and this hadn’t changed. Her inference being that, as the passport application was voluntary, the obligatory ID card that came with it was also, therefore, voluntary.
Derrrr.
Is it me or did the definition of “voluntary” change whilst I was asleep? She definitely insisted (I’m not sure about believed) that the ID card was voluntary, and she should know. I mean she’s a Baroness after all!
This is typical New Labour Party political semantics at work here. In other words they are fucking with my language!