Following last week's Cabinet meeting - compulsory identity cards remain off the agenda for the next few years at least. But the Home Secretary remains determined to take steps to keep open the option of compulsory cards by 2013. Liberty is determined to ensure that Britain does not end up with such a scheme by stealth. The present Cabinet may contain many members who are strongly opposed to ID cards, but the Home Secretary's paving legislation could lead to a future government introducing a compulsory scheme with relative ease.

In anticipation of David Blunkett's announcement this afternoon on the possible introduction of identity cards, Liberty's Campaign Director Mark Littlewood said:

"We need to guard against ID cards being introduced by stealth. Whilst we warmly welcome the Cabinet's decision to put off a decision on making the cards compulsory, a fudged and muddled compromise is no way to proceed. All the evidence from other European countries suggests that ID cards are expensive, ineffective and damage community relations. In Britain, opinion polls show that several million adults would refuse point blank to carry one. The government should think very carefully before spending billions of pounds on a scheme that could ignite such public outrage. Tackling fraud, combatting terrorism and reducing crime require detailed and intricate policy solutions. ID cards are no answer at all. They represent a real threat to our civil liberties and our personal privacy. There is no obvious upside."