I think you’re fighting the last battle. The world isn’t the same as it was.

Burnham isn’t Corbyn.

I think you are missing the big point that there is not much difference between the tories and labour. There is, apparently, no alternative and this is one of the reasons that the country is abandoning the centre ground and polarising.

A lame duck polling as bad as Starmer is, obstinately using the levels of party bureaucracy to hold back any alternative is only going to make a reform Government increasingly likely.

I find it impressive that the same hierarchical structure responsible for failures like Hillsborough, Windrush, and the Post Office scandal (amongst many others) has the hubris to tell us to trust it with this kind of invasive monitoring - it is really quite astonishing.

To the incompetent elites: make sure that your institutions are trustworthy enough before asking for the kind of data that would dramatically magnify the abuses of power, coverups and institutional failures that would be possible.

I thoroughly dislike the idea of a digital ID, but I still believe it would massively improve the Government’s ability to detect fraud, avoid multi-agency failures and support better data-led decision making - I could conceivably see these changes leading to significantly more than £1.8 billion in savings over a relatively short time-span.

This does not mean I support it in any shape, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that it isn’t only a means of better controlling people, but it could offer real tangible efficiency savings.

edit: On no, the downvote brigade is here and they have no time for reasoned debate.

Abandon ship! Every agent for themselves!

How long before coca cola launch an unsweetened version and Nandos lets your Bring Your Own Bag (of sugar)?

Mandatory ID will mean he can do the same thing to naughty citizens as he does to the naughty Labour MPs.

Have they tried massive whips?

I wish we didn’t have to see dismissive high-handed articles like this but perhaps this is to be expected from the New Statesman.

feeling angry is not the same thing as being right

So matey boy, why are these people angry? And what do you propose to do about it except for telling them that they’re wrong?

Sorry, we couldn’t prosecute the shoplifters so we can’t give you the £1 reward. They are still out on the streets though and know who you are, so watch out.

I’d rather go back to burning coal, thanks.

The general public requests that Downing Street stop criminalising everyday protest.

What were your smuggling?

I don’t think even the Tories would have been brave enough to try this on.