A welcome first step – but now it’s time to drop ID cards altogether

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

In a welcome move, Alan Johnson signalled today that compulsory ID cards within the aviation industry will no longer be trialled in Manchester and London. But foreign nationals will still mandatorily have to hold identification when the system is fully implemented.

That is unreasonable, unfair and unmanageable. Foreign nationals’ ability to work in Britain is necessarily fluid and cannot be determined by what would inevitably be a protracted application process. Moreover, we can’t invite foreign nationals to work in Britain and then expect them to live by different rules.

ID cards are unpopular and unnecessary. They would be have a very small impact on the fight against Terror, but would be potentially disastrous both politically and in terms of individuals’ civil liberties.

It is time to stop triangulating into a position of favourability on this issue and drop the ID cards plans altogether.