ID cards suppliers warned not to sign contracts

The Tories would scrap ID cards

Tory shadow home secretary Chris Grayling has publicly warned potential IT suppliers for the ID cards scheme that a future Conservative government would ditch the project.

He has sent letters to the five chosen suppliers – Thales, CSC, IBM, Fujitsu and EDS – urging them not to sign further contracts because the scheme would be scrapped immediately by an incoming Conservative administration, which will seek to void so-called "poisoned pill" provisions designed to prevent future cancellation.

The warning was issued days after speculation that home secretary Alan Johnson has ordered a review of the whole policy and may be more sympathetic over privacy fears, rumours that were dismissed by the Home Office as a misunderstanding of the process of giving incoming new ministers detailed background briefings.

"We intend to scrap the ID card project as one of our first acts if we are successful at the election,” said Grayling in a statement.

"I am increasingly concerned that the government is putting in place contractual arrangements that are designed to tie the hands of a future government, and I want to make the contractors absolutely aware that we do not intend to complete this work."

In the letter, Grayling said the Tories would not scrap the introduction of biometric passports, but would "take an extremely sceptical view of any future contractual arrangements on ID cards that appear to have been put in place simply to tie the hands of a future government."

He added: "In the light of this, I urge you to consider very carefully your future involvement."