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19 Nov 2008

Scottish Parliament votes against benighted ID scheme

Oh look - this outbreak of sanity in Scotland continues:

The Scottish Parliament has voted against the UK Government’s plans to introduce ID cards. MSPs backed a Scottish Government motion stating the scheme would not increase security or deter crime, while raising concerns about civil liberties. Scots Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing said the estimated £5bn needed for ID cards should be spent elsewhere.

That’s the stingy £5bn version. When you factor in the costs for everyone else (not just the Home Office) then we’re talking £15-20bn (say it ain’t so, not-yet-Sir James). The old MoD rule of thumb was to take the original cost estimate and multiply by 3.14159. Same difference.

Funny how devolution (whatever one’s views about the desirability of the Union) introduces a competition in ideas. Along with the lashings of smug rhetoric there’s quite a lot of common sense that slips out.

Next thing to watch for, I’m told, is the Welsh abandoning this nonsense about central databases for children.

• Posted by William Heath on 19/11/08 at 10:50pm
• Categories · "What do we want?" · Foundation of Trust · Data nitwittery
• Comments (1)  Permalink

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