I'm glad they're calling it a blunder (perhaps we could skip the tit for tat back and forth sniping about why they've postponed it and get on with discussing the issues? oh, silly me, of course not). I'm glad they've stopped to think. But my jubilation is tempered by some thoughts.
- It's always worrying to rely on one person; if the Home Secretary's son hadn't had a clue, would he still have postponed it?
- another Home Office minister said that the extension would simply regularize what departments are already doing, getting the data on a 'voluntary basis'. Will that continue?
- why is one person at the Home Office saying one thing and the Home Secretary saying another? left hand/right hand? Poor briefing? I wish I could get their data traffic so I know when I can believe them.
- and it'll be back in the autumn again.
Ah well, it's a lot better than it might have been...