Johnson’s only strength is his laziness
Ian Dunt writes on the Politics.co.uk web site about Alan Johnson’s tenure at the Home Office:
Once Johnson came in to the Home Office, the mood in the previously hyper-active department changed instantly. He had a simple mantra: No defeats, no victories. He would keep the tiller still. No big accomplishments, but no foreign prisoner–style PR disasters either. Johnson was determined to survive the Home Office.
In that he has so far been successful. His changes, such as they are, have been so understated as to be invisible. He launched a review of ID cards, rather quietly, and then made a tepid promise not to make them compulsory for British subjects. Brown reiterated that promise during his conference speech and gained undeserved headlines for it, despite the fact it had already been announced.
Edits: Excerpt updated to reflect changes in the published article.
November 11th, 2009 at 18:31
As the whole ID card scheme was the Home Office’s invention, why would they celebrate?
November 12th, 2009 at 12:46
I very much doubt Brown was ever thinking of abandoning the scheme. They still think it is a vote winner, especially more their more moonbat supporters. One Labour party activist admitted to me in an unguarded moment that ID Cards are seen as a reason for BNP inclined Labour voters to still vote for Labour – ‘niggers and pakis would have to carry ID Cards’. I think we have consistently under-estimated racist undertones in the ID Card scheme.