Give ID cards the boot

Jacqui Smith’s achievements are so modest that no one can remember them. To add to her tally, she has just increased the cost of the useless ID card (Government doubles real cost of ID card) to almost that of a (useful) passport.

The allegedly secure ID system will have data prepared for it by myriad firms, will rely on existing corrupted databases and has no obvious value.

The biometrics expensively stored on the card and on a national database will seldom be checked, and if they are it will be in circumstances where a passport would probably be more useful. The outrageous invasion of civil liberties required to set up the scheme, and to maintain it, is for no discernible purpose. The sooner it is scrapped the better.

Simon Evans, submitted on the web