23/11/2009

Home Office minister tries to sell ID cards on webchat...and fails

MegHillierID After the terrors of Mumsnet and the furore of 'Biscuitgate', Home Office Minister Meg Hillier MP appeared on the Manchester Evening News website today for a webchat about ID cards.

The hour-long chat was a largely unremarkable series of probing and reasonable questions from understandably angry Mancunians; punctuated by typically lame and party-line responses from Ms Hillier, and the odd amusing faux pas from the Under-Secretary of State.

Such as, in answer to the question 'with regards to the current test in Manchester are there clearly defined sucess criteria?':

"I'm confident that once the people of Manchester get and use their cards they'll be spreading the word and there'll be a steady rise in numbers over the years." 

So that will be all 2,000 of them spreading the good news...And the wonderful:

"The databases will be very secure - think Police National Computer."
Like in this case, where an officer was misusing the database for 18 months before being caught. Alex has written about this in greater detail on CentreRight.

But by far the most pleasing aspect of the exercise was the online poll run in conjunction, which asked whether you will get an ID card. After an hour of Meg's heavy-sell, it stood at a terrific 97% No - 3% Yes (see below).

You will also see in the snapshot below, that Big Brother Watch asked a question - namely why she is using taxpayers' money promoting a scheme that nobody wants and is no longer compulsory. You will also note the Minister bravely sidestepped this question.

Meg Hillier Webchat 97
 By Dylan Sharpe

23 Nov 2009 15:17:19 | ID cards

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