The use of this phrase reveals that we still have some way to go in persuading the Prime Minister that his democratic idealism – used to life-saving effect in Kosovo and Sierra Leone – cannot be selective.Mr Blair stressed the potential of a reconstructed Iraq to transform the way the West is viewed by Muslims across the globe. We are engaged, he said, in “the battle of seminal importance for the early 21st century”. He defined it as a fight to “give Iraq democracy, set it on a path to prosperity, leave it in the sole charge of the Iraqi people, its oil its own, its citizens free to worship in the way they wish”.
This is the war that we leftish hawks always wanted Britain to fight: not to eradicate mythical weapons but for democracy at the heart of the Arab world. How on earth is that done?Simoncarr75 hotmail
More from Simon Carr. Mr Davis seemed to remember that something similar had happened in the last big anti-terrorism Bill. The Home Secretary had promised that only the highest-ranking security officers would be able to inspect our telephone and internet records – it turns out that very petty officials in local councils can access them at will.Those who approve ID cards have to take the Home Secretary’s word at face value.

The ability of the Government to compile large databases is not encouraging. How will it prevent foreign terrorists operating here? (“Sorry officer, shall I present my card to the nearest police station within five days?”) Labour’s Andrew Bennett made a surprisingly effective attack on the same lines (voles can hurt, if they get you in the right place).Mr Davis observed that parliament was to approve the card in principle but then regulations would provide for the details that can be included on them. Oh really? “The protection of civil liberties would be assured.” But how does he know? “Let me make it clear: no one has anything to fear from being correctly identified.” That’s certainly untrue.In his new role as shadow Home Secretary, David Davis did better than expected, asking: “Do identity cards work?” A very proper question. On another subject, it’s very likely that a larger proportion of the popular vote that gave Tony Blair his second landslide (24 per cent) will, in Iraq, vote for a theocratic state and full sharia law. The dangers of “the plebiscite route” are not restricted to France.David Blunkett arrived to announce that the Cabinet had agreed to pursue his identity card scheme. When he disapproves of a referendum he calls it a plebiscite.

The idea of putting Turkey’s accession to the EU onto the French ballot paper “shows the danger of going down the plebiscite route”. It makes it that much easier for him to carry off the comic pomposity he does so well for our entertainment – as in: “I will be later be receiving a delegation.” The words slip out with marvellous grandeur.In Mr MacShane’s world, the limitations of democracy are very distinct. On good days they merely strain against their limitations like Lincolnshire sausages; yesterday they were bulging inside his facial cavity like balloon animals. On bad days, Denis MacShane’s sinuses appear on Ordnance Survey maps. But the middle fellow one does remember for more than one reason. So was their second bench.
The enormous presence of Michael Ancram held the centre and his conjoined siblings rippled and wobbled in their places.