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02/15/2006:

"A Bit of Good News for Blair: ID Cards for Britons Advance"

LONDON, Feb. 13 — The government of Prime Minister Tony Blair faced down its opposition on Monday in a politically charged vote in the House of Commons on a plan to introduce mandatory national identification cards. The vote moved Britain closer to the use of such cards but did not make clear precisely when that would be.

Despite a rebellion by about 20 members of Mr. Blair's own Labor Party, the government won the vote, 310 to 279. A defeat would have been Mr. Blair's fourth humiliation in Parliament since the general election last year — and since taking power in 1997 — raising doubts about his authority in his third term of office.

In the May election his majority was cut to just 64 votes, meaning that a relatively small number of dissident Labor legislators can derail his legislative plans. By surviving the challenge on Monday, Mr. Blair was seen as scoring a qualified victory.
nytimes.com