Commenting on David Blunkett's proposal for a £40 compulsory ID card, Liberty spokesman Barry Hugill said:

'The real beneficiary of such a policy will be the fraudsters who will make a fortune
selling forged cards. There is no evidence that ID cards lead to a reduction in crime yet the Government is contemplating spending at least £1.5bn on the scheme.

This is a Government that cannot manage to pay tax credits, deliver passports or enforce child maintenance payments without catastrophic system failure. Does anyone seriously believe it could manage something as technologically complex as a national ID card?'