Guido’s Lie-ometer was crackling like a geiger counter at a Pakistani arms dealership yesterday. Michael Howard telling us that the Tories were “united on ID cards.” Charles Clarke, the nation’s new fat controller, told us “David and I have a very similar view about these policy questions and I think there will be a continuity between David’s approach and mine. I strongly believe in ID cards.”

But we all know the Tories are very divided on ID cards, Peter Lilley is leading the campaign against them and he should know, since under the previous regime he commissioned a green paper on the subject which found against them on practical grounds. Charles Clarke’s friends are telling journalists that they thought he was sceptical of, if not out right opposed to ID cards. Amazing what being appointed to the third highest office of state can do to one’s views eh?

UPDATE : Disaffected Tory Bloggers have formed the 1952 Committee. They won’t be voting Tory apparently. Must be nice for them to be in the mainstream for once…