Government Ignores Their Own Report on ID Cards

The Ministry of Truth has made an interesting discovery on HM Treasury's website today. Using the logic of the cynic (and quite rightly so) he has uncovered a little noticed report on ID cards which is rather embarrassing to HMG. Over to the Ministry of Truth...

It is, I would suggest, an axiom of dealing with this current government that whenever they go on a major PR offensive the first thing you should do is look around for what’s being quietly snuck out the back door in the hope that no one will notice. So, in view of today’s ‘charm’ offensive on ID cards - which, typically has been long on offensive and short on charm - it should come as no great surprise to find the sudden appearance from the bowels of the Treasury’s website, of a two year old report by Sir James Crosby entitled, ‘Challenges and Opportunities in Identity Management‘ (pdf) and that there are some very good reasons why its taken two years to surface.

The report makes various suggestions as to how the government should operate an ID card scheme, but it may not surprise you to discover that they have ignored virtually all of them and carried on in their own blundering way to create the most intrusive, consumer-unfriendly scheme you can imagine.

Read the full Ministry of Truth post HERE. And if you are an MP opposed to ID cards you might want to ask some questions on this...

ID Cards: Labour Lacks Cojones Over Compulsion

I remain an implacable opponent of ID cards. But one thing I do accept is that the only way they can have any real effect is if they are compulsory. What's the point of only a few people having them? I'm quite sure the government secretly agree with this and they would dearly like to make them compulsory. The trouble is, they don't have the balls to do it (Gott sei Dank). They say that only the House of Commons can make ID cards mandatory and they won't ask for a vote before the next general election. I bet they won't. They know it would be electoral suicide. It's quite clear that if they win the election, that's what they'll do, though, except I'm willing to bet it won't appear in their election manifesto.

Luckily there will hopefully be a Tory government after the next election and Home Sectretary David Davis will junk the whole sorry shambles of a scheme.

Davis: We Will Axe ID Cards Scheme

The LibDems seem to take great delight in asserting that they are the only Party which is totally opposed to ID cards. Well they won't be able to trot out that old canard again. Today David Davis, has today written to the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell giving formal notice that an incoming Conservative Government would scrap the Government's ID card project and asking what provision, if any, has been made in the relevant contractual arrangements to protect the Government - and public funds - against the costs that would be incurred as a result of early cancellation of the scheme. A similar letter has also been sent to the likely major contractors warning them of our intentions. This is the text of the letter to Sir Gus...

I am writing to you in relation to the Government's planned roll out
of its national identity card scheme, commencing this year. You will be aware
that there is a longstanding convention that one Parliament may not bind a
subsequent Parliament.As you will also be aware, the Conservative Party has
stated publicly that it is our intention to cancel the ID cards project
immediately on our being elected to government. You are now formally on notice
of our position and fully appraised of the contingent risks and associated
liabilities arising from the national identity card scheme.

In light of these risks, I urge you to consider very carefully the
government's position, in advance of the roll-out of the scheme later this year.
As a matter of financial prudence, it is incumbent upon you to ensure that
public money is not wasted, and contractual obligations are not incurred,
investing in a scheme with such a high risk of not being implemented.
In particular, I would be interested to know what provision, if any has, been made
in the relevant contractual arrangements to protect the Government - and public
funds - against the costs that would be incurred as a result of early
cancellation of the scheme.

The Conservatives will be a launching a web and print based campaign against Labour's ID Cards proposals tomorrow.

As Stephen Pollard so eloquently puts it...

So at one and the same time, he has reiterated the Conservative Party's
stance in favour of individual liberty versus the state; he has undermined the
chances of ID cards being successfully introduced under Labour by indicating
that he might, as Home Secretary, overturn contracts with commercial
organisations, thus introducing a crucial new element of risk; he has helped the
Conservative Party in its key task of drawing in potential LibDem voters; and he
has given the Conservative troops a morale boost by sticking to core
principles.