ID database to continue to grow
Labour in retreat as ID card plan is axed - Scotsman.com News
THE government was accused of being "in chaos" last night after it all but abandoned its flagship identity card scheme.
Not so fast - PR reports
And yet Johnson is resolutely refusing to simply scrap the scheme, claiming that it would save little money to do so. That implies to me that the Identity Database, with the details of every UK resident, will still be operational and (one presumes) compulsary - although instead of relying on ‘applications for ID cards’ it will rely on consolidating data from passport applications, CRB checks and other sources. The Database will still come into being, and will still need to be populated with information about every citizen if it is to be any use at all.
Given that this aspect, rather than the plastic cards themselves, was the original concern of civil liberties campaigners, the announcement that the expensive cards themselves will not be compulsory could quickly appear to be spectacularly hollow.
Comments
...the announcement that the expensive cards themselves will not be compulsory could quickly appear to be spectacularly hollow...
I seems to remember that the cards were only "expensive" because the state had decided to recoup some of the costs of the database by making the public contribute to the cost of their own chains.
Doubtless, whatever "voluntary" tattooing and barcoding will now replace applying for a card will be similarly costly.
Posted by: The Remittance Man | July 1, 2009 8:54 AM
I saw a letter in one of the newspapers pointing out that all they have scrapped is the requirement to carry one of the things. You will still be giving all the information to the IDentity database when you renew your passport.
Once they have collected all that information then it much easier to revive the ID card idea and make them compulsory.
Posted by: MB | July 1, 2009 9:00 AM
ID cards are no more cancelled than Gordon Brown has resigned!
May I refer you to two links in my post: http://witteringsfromwitney.blogspot.com/2009/06/id-cards-cancelled-are-they.html
Our provincial government may have backpedalled a tad but our masters in Brussels have not!
Posted by: WitteringsFromWitney | July 1, 2009 9:01 AM
The voluntary option has not worked......etc
Posted by: Jon Gregory | July 1, 2009 2:28 PM
In other words, standard NuLab lies and weaselling.
Why am I not surprised?
Posted by: Andrew Duffin | July 1, 2009 3:10 PM
I like this -
"The project will now focus on persuading youngsters to pay £30 for a card so they can prove their age when trying to buy alcohol in pubs and bars."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196699/Dramatic-Labour-U-turn-new-Home-Secretary-means-carry-ID-cards.html
Posted by: John A | July 1, 2009 8:06 PM