Britain's New Government Scraps National ID Card

There has been considerable talk about the possibility of utilizing a National ID card as a component of comprehensive immigration reform.

Something to consider: In Britain the coalition government has announced that they are going to revoke a law which requires all British citizens to use a National ID card.

The Los Angeles Times has a great article up here, as usual I have pulled out some highlights.

British government officials weigh in on the move:

"ID cards will be gone in a 100 days," Home Secretary Theresa May said at a news conference.

May said the government would save more than $1 billion in the next decade by canceling the cards and the corresponding national registry. The cards contain biometric data, photographs and fingerprints.

"But this isn't just about saving money," May said, "It's also about principle.... We did believe there was a liberties argument for not enforcing ID cards on the British people."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats issued a statement supporting the bill: "Cancelling the scheme and abolishing the National Identity Register is a major step in dismantling the surveillance state. But ID cards are just the tip of the iceberg. Today marks the start of a series of radical reforms to restore hard-won British freedoms."

A little background information on Britains National ID card:

Identity cards were first proposed in 2002 by the then-ruling Labor Party as part of efforts to fight fraud, crime and illegal immigration. The plan drew heavy criticism from civil liberties groups as an intrusion into the privacy of citizens. It also came under fire for its initial costs, which were estimated at more than $6 billion.

After eight years of parliamentary debates, consultations, political arguments and public protests, ID cards became obligatory for foreign nationals in 2008 and optional for British citizens at an individual cost of $45 in November when it was introduced in Manchester.

With the British government completely scrapping their National ID card, lets hope that their American counterparts are monitoring the situation closely before making any decisions on similar programs here.