UK scraps compulsory ID cards

[mawilson 2,133]

Alan Johnson, the home secretary, has shelved plans for the eventual introduction of

compulsory ID cards for British citizens, dealing another blow to the government’s

controversial £4.9bn national identity scheme.

Mr Johnson also said on Tuesday that pilots and airside workers at Manchester and

London City airports would no longer be forced to carry the cards, after unions had

objected strongly to their introduction.

The Home Office also confirmed that a long-term contract for the large-scale production

of the cards, which will now only be offered on a voluntary basis, was being delayed

until 2011 or 2012.

The Tory opposition has promised to scrap the ID card scheme in the event that it

wins the forthcoming general election, which must take place by next spring.

Charles Clarke and Jacqui Smith, two former home secretaries, had said they expected

to reach a “tipping point” of 80 per cent of British people using ID cards by 2018, at

which point their use would have been made compulsory by law.

However, when asked on Tuesday whether that was still the case, Mr Johnson stated

a categoric “no”.

Mr Johnson stressed that he remained convinced that the cards offered “significant

benefits”, and announced plans to extended the voluntary ID card scheme taking place

in Manchester to the rest of the north west.

He said it would be useful for young people to provide proof of age and for tackling

anti-social behaviour. He also said the government would offer the cards free to the

over-75s. Nevertheless, the government has only received 3,500 expressions of

interest in the cards so far from around the country.

Commenting on the announcement, David Davis, former shadow Home secretary,

said: “Alan Johnson has signalled the final stages of the descent into chaos of the

government’s ID card scheme. The cancellation of the compulsory airside workers

test of the scheme, in the face of fierce resistance from pilots and trade unions, shows

that the Home Office had lost their stomach for the fight.

He added: “The abandonment of the requirement for the ID card to be compulsory

as the final stage shows the government has lost its belief in the ID card as a

universal check on identity. One of the fundamental design flaws in the system was

that it had to be compulsory for it to work as advertised. Otherwise, how could any

public servant, be they police, immigration officer, or welfare provider, demand to see it?”

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[Amby 490]

I always thought people not having ID cards was odd because I was used to everyone having them. I think Neil got away with a lot of stuff when he was younger because he didn't have an ID card. He would tell the cops names of other people he knew.

[mawilson 2,133]

I always thought people not having ID cards was odd because I was used to everyone having them. I think Neil got away with a lot of stuff when he was younger because he didn't have an ID card. He would tell the cops names of other people he knew.

There's no national ID card in the US.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

We have ID, just no national ID.

[Amby 490]

I always thought people not having ID cards was odd because I was used to everyone having them. I think Neil got away with a lot of stuff when he was younger because he didn't have an ID card. He would tell the cops names of other people he knew.

There's no national ID card in the US.

Yeah but most people have state ID cards. You actually need one for a lot of things here. I had a state ID card from age 10 because I flew places on my own a lot. I don't know what the law is now, but a few years ago you had to have one if you were 14 and flying.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Amby