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To keep ahead of the news on this and other Bills in each House read the @hansardsociety.bsky.social's weekly Parliament Matters Bulletin. Latest edition out today.
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/news/parliam...

As there is some form of consultation promised, perhaps we might get a Green Paper. And then after the consultation concludes we should have a White Paper and then a Bill. I'm not sure whether that's the equivalent of your official report but it's probably the nearest thing we have to it.

Yes, e-petitions are another factor I doubt anyone in No 10 gave any thought to in terms of communications management . The Backbench Business Committee in the House of Commons will have to schedule a debate in due course. It could end up being debated before the consultation is launched!

7/ Digital ID may or may not be the right call.

But this is not the best way to make public policy that affects all our lives.

6/ Opposition parties - and some Labour backbenchers - have already come out against it before seeing any detail.
Reflex politics that engages neither with the merits nor the risks.

5/ There will apparently be a consultation—yet no clarity on when it begins. So until then we’ll have days (weeks?) of speculation where the real detail risks being lost in the media & social-media frenzy.

4/ Just 10 days ago the tech minister said Govt was only looking at whether a new digital ID could tackle illegal immigration, transform services & help everyday life.

“No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.”

10 days later: policy announced. 🤔

3/ This wasn’t in the General Election manifesto.
There has been no strategic case, no groundwork to build public understanding. No costings. No timescales. Barely any detail. Hence why ministerial media appearances today have been poor and sometimes contradictory in their messaging.

2/ A policy with huge legislative, financial & social implications was unveiled as if Parliament’s consent were a given — before it was announced to MPs, before scrutiny.

@commonsspeaker.parliament.uk must be having conniptions in Chorley.

You can watch today's @conunitucl.bsky.social event with Lord Goldsmith online via their YouTube channel or later on their podcast.
www.youtube.com/@constitutio...

And this week Lord Goldsmith, Chair of the International Agreements Committee has written a blog for us @hansardsociety.bsky.social explaining why government objections to reform are unconvincing and meaningful accountability is overdue.
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/treaty-...

Our @hansardsociety.bsky.social evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee sets out the problems and what is needed: www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications...

5/ Unless Parliament - especially the Commons - gets stronger powers of scrutiny, huge areas of economic and social policy will go unchecked. So we need modern scrutiny tools and resources to examine treaties fit for the 21st century.