A very important call
Friday, November 2, 2007 
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne has been fined £100 after admitting using his mobile phone while driving. The Birmingham Hodge Hill MP, who pleaded guilty by letter, "said he had been taking an important call on a deportation matter but there was no excuse and he was remorseful". (Full story HERE.)
Let me get this right: a government minister says there was "no excuse" for his behaviour but he wants the judge - and no doubt the public - to know that he had been taking an "important call" on a "deportation" matter. (Nice touch.) If that's not an excuse I don't know what is.
Meanwhile Nick Clegg, favourite to win the Lib Dem leadership battle, vowed earlier this week that "he will break the law and refuse to provide details of his identity if the government presses ahead with plans to make ID cards compulsory". (Story HERE.)
I'm not in favour of ID cards, either. Nor am I a fan of a law which forbids, in any circumstances, the use of mobile phones when driving. The point is, here are two members of parliament, one a junior minister, the other a potential party leader, openly flouting or proposing to flout the law. I'm confused.
Reader Comments (4)
They don't like the law, but vote on the law and bans. Charles Kennedy voted for the present smoking ban and was caught breaking the law. There must be others.
Why on earth is ANYONE surpised ?
Never heard of the expression (about to be revived in Dinner Party Land, one suspects), 'One Law For Them, One Law For Us'.....??
Why not if it gets them Publicity
It just goes to show that this law was brought about by the minority of idiots who abhor tobacoo, and unfortunately the GUV has jumped onto the bandwagon as they were duped by ZEALOTS