Meg Hillier replaces Joan Ryan at the Home Office
According to the full list of Ministerial appointments
[Meg Hillier MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch replaces Joan Ryan as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office.
Did Joan Ryan's feeble attempts to argue her case for the National Identity Register and ID Cards contribute to her removal from the Home Office ?
Meg Hillier was PPS to Rt Hon Ruth Kelly, Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government and is a former Mayor of the London Borough of Islington and Member of the London Assembly.
Joan Ryan MP becomes a Privy Counsellor i.e. becomes the Right Honourable Joan Ryan MP and somehow becomes Special Representative to Cyprus, although what that means, and who she reports to, is unclear. She has holiday and other links with Cyprus, according to her declarations in the Register of Members' Interests.
Meg Hillier's website says:
Q: What is your position on ID Cards?This is now part of the Labour Party manifesto. I am a Labour candidate standing on a Labour Party manifesto. Had I drafted the manifesto it would have had a different focus on this issue. There is a long way before current proposals become law, no doubt there will be an opportunity to influence change as the bill progresses through Parliament. I have been told that tackling identity theft and child protection would be better served with some form of ID card – I will be looking into this more. I have no problem with voluntary ID cards.
However she voted very strongly for the Identity Cards Act 2006.
Comments
Joan Ryan, constituency Enflied North, majority dear oh dear. Cypriot and Turkish population c20,000 (http://www.cre.gov.uk/diversity/map/london/enfield.html).
She's also been involved along with various neighbouring MPs in lobbying for Cypriots. But this didn't save two of them. Barbara Roche or Steven Twigg.
Posted by: John Lettice | June 30, 2007 7:02 PM
I don't think anyone will notice that she's not there any more. And how ludicrous to give her the title of Privy Counsellor - rather devalues the currency!
Posted by: fred | July 9, 2007 1:56 PM
Did any one notice Meg Hillier is now the minister with responsibility for delivery of.........yep.... ID Cards.
I thought she supported voluntary ID, now she is change of the single biggest government budget to private sector !...
Home Office minister Meg Hillier said: 'The National Identity Scheme will be a crucial part of the UK's key national infrastructure, and bring the way we prove identity into the 21st century.
'It is a groundbreaking project, with the potential for huge benefits for individuals and for the nation.
'As the framework procurement makes clear, we are committed to introducing the scheme carefully and securely, minimising both cost and risk,' she said.
Posted by: Ravi | August 9, 2007 4:40 PM