As I understand it, there was manifesto commitment to introduce ID cards. Remember how a couple of lines in the Tory manifesto of 1987 became the "flagship policy to introduce the community charge"?
The labour manifesto is here, and page 52-53 contains the text:
We will introduce ID cards, including biometric data like
fingerprints, backed up by a national register and rolling out initially
on a voluntary basis as people renew their passports.
Note the phrase "initially on a voluntary basis". I'd guess this means that:
1. It's official that they'll try to bring them in.
2. If they succeed in passing the bill, they'll try to make them compulsory later.
It's fascinating to me that a project which will likely cost tens of billions of pounds is so far under the radar.
BTW, I had no idea that Lewisham was such a den of iniquity :)
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Re: Identity cards
Date: 2005-05-07 10:00 pm (UTC)The labour manifesto is here, and page 52-53 contains the text:
Note the phrase "initially on a voluntary basis". I'd guess this means that:
1. It's official that they'll try to bring them in.
2. If they succeed in passing the bill, they'll try to make them compulsory later.
It's fascinating to me that a project which will likely cost tens of billions of pounds is so far under the radar.
BTW, I had no idea that Lewisham was such a den of iniquity :)