Last week Alan Johnson, the home secretary, cancelled a compulsory trial due to start in September for 30,000 airport staff to carry ID cards. Many in the media and political classes thought this was to be the death of ID cards as a political project.
ID cards are now (supposedly) a purely voluntary scheme, with members of the public either opting in or out, depending on their viewpoint. But is it voluntary?
A few nights ago MPs approved fines of up to £1,000 for those who fail to tell the passport and identity service of personal details including address, name, nationality and gender. This legislation is part of a package being pushed through parliament designed to fit into the ID card scheme, which is supposed to be voluntary: a voluntary scheme that could land you a £1,000 fine.
Damian Green, the Conservatives’ home affairs spokesman, asked Mr Johnson how the scheme would be voluntary when there were penalties for failing to provide information for the database. It is almost as though, in the first instance, the ID card is voluntary. But then it becomes compulsory for the rest of your life. Especially when the fines, which start at £125, can be levied on people who change their name or address without notification; surrender an identity card; report one lost or stolen; or report one damaged, tampered with or destroyed.
Perhaps the scheme has not been shelved after all. This is why Alan Johnson claimed a few days ago that “We haven’t scrapped ID cards, what we are doing is accelerating their introduction.” If ever there was a more blatant attempt at introducing something via the backdoor - then this is it.
I personally wouldn’t have a problem with ID cards if they were in any way useful. But they aren’t. The only arguments in favour I have heard have been personalised public services (with little in the way of definition as to what this actually means) and that they will help fight terrorism. The public services pledge remains vague at best.
The terrorism pledge is discredited: as they have ID cards in Spain (which saw the Madrid bombings) and the terrorist attacks in this country have been carried out by so called “home grown terrorists” - who would have to carry an ID card anyway.
If they made them useful and included all forms of license on them, as well as replacing passports, then I might change my mind. But as it stands: ID cards are a colossal waste of money in a time when people do not want to fork out more than £100 for something they do not need or desire.
