A partida de Jacqui Smith causa o speculation sobre cartões do ID

O speculation de Westminster levantou uma marca de pergunta nova sobre o futuro do esquema do cartão de identidade da capitânia do governo, seguindo notícia da partida forthcoming da secretária home Jacqui Smith.

Smith era uma das forças dirigindo principais atrás da política do cartão do ID, lutando fora dos interesses do Tesouraria sobre o custo e rejeitando uma proposta Tesouraria-conduzida para um sistema confidencial-setor-conduzido do ID.

But she has been badly tarnished by the row over her husband’s claim for renting a porn video on her expenses and her designation of her main home as a room in her sister’s London house. She is expected to leave the Cabinet in Gordon Brown’s expected reshuffle next week.

One of Smith’s possible successors, Alistair Darling, whom the prime minister failed to support as his ongoing Chancellor, is not known as a strong supporter of the ID scheme .

With budgets under pressure and if he gets the post, Darling may see the switch at the top as the opportunity to change the policy.

But there was late speculation that he might refuse the job and with the government itself in disarray following a co-ordinated series of resignations, the future of ID card policy is the last of Brown’s problems.

Parliamentary reporter