Government wins Identity Cards vote - with special help from the Liberal Democrats

10.27.39am GMT Tue 14th Feb 2006

UK National Identity Card (Design Mock-up)

The Government won the votes on Identity Cards last night, although they did accept one of the Lords amendments. However anyone looking at who voted which way may be surprised to the see Liberal Democrat MP Paul Keetch supporting the Government on the first vote - I can reveal this was a cock-up rather than anything else.

Paul Keetch had been paired for Wednesday, but a miscommunication somewhere meant he has been paired all week but he had not been told. Paul voted against the Government and then the Chief Whip asked him to vote with the Government to cancel himself out!

The Government actually won without his help with a majority of 31 (310 to 279 - with two Keetch votes) to reject the Lords demand that ID cards could not be brought in covertly by making them conditional on application for a passport. However the Government accepted a Lords amendment that means there must be new legislation before IDs can be compulsory. The Bill now returns to the House of Lords.