ID card

   Compulsory identity (ID) cards were issued in both world wars but the scheme was abandoned in 1952. Their use was considered by the Major Government but Labour did not pursue the idea after 1997. However, Home Secretary David Blunkett resurrected the idea after the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. He portrayed identity cards as invaluable in the fight against terrorism, crime, identity fraud and false entitlement to social security benefits. Enabling legislation was eventually passed in 2006, providing for the phased introduction of a scheme under which everyone will eventually be compelled to possess an ID card. From 2008, renewal of passports will require the collection of biometric data and become more expensive, to cover the costs of the card. There will be a national data register.

   Some people have few fears about being forced to prove their identity, seeing the card as a useful means of so doing. They note that most European Union countries have some such scheme and can see its potential benefits. Opponents worry about the implications for the civil liberties of individuals being forced to own such a card whether they want one or not, feeling that the storage of biometric features and personal data on a national register places too much knowledge in the hands of the authorities. Others worry about the costs associated with ID cards, the reliability of biometric technology and the way in which the police might harass members of ethnic minorities, requiring them to prove their identity.