WRITTEN ON June 30th, 2009 BY Richard S AND STORED IN Data nitwittery, Foundation of Trust, Identity, What do we want?

According to this report, Alan Johnson is abolishing compulsory ID Cards, starting with “air-side” airport workers.

As always, the precise detail of this decision is crucial. But let’s hope that this decision marks the beginning of the end of the crazy ID project which has wasted so much money and so much valuable talent.

Let’s hope that the government soon sees sense over the other IPS projects and other intrusive government databases.

One Response to “ID Cards: Beginning of the End?”

 
Nigel wrote on July 2nd, 2009 2:12 pm :

I’m disappointed by the number of outlets falling for this blatant bit of spin.

Alan Johnson hasn’t abolished anything, for the simple reason that there has never been a serious plan to make having an ID card compulsory, and the government doesn’t have the powers to do it.

What they do have, and what they are still intending to do, is the power to make registration on the underlying database – the National Identity Register – to anyone applying for a “designated document”. AIUI these were the powers which would have been used for the airside worker scheme. That’s gone but the other, and much bigger, plan to make the UK passport a designated document is still very much alive.

So from 2011 when you apply for or renew a passport you will have the option to get an ID card but you will be compelled to register on the NIR.

The airside workers have won a minor skirkish, but for the general populace the war is still very much on.