Cameron promises to scrap identity cards

Conservative leader David Cameron has pledged to scrap ID cards if his party win the next General Election.

Speaking at the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth, Cameron criticised Prime Minister Tony Blair's claim that ID cards would help control immigration, ‘when new immigrants won't even have them.’

‘ID cards are wrong, they're a waste of money, and we will abolish them,’ he told delegates.

Cameron also supported Shadow Home Secretary David Davis’ criticism of the creation of a national children's database, and denounced what he called the ‘£20 billion shambles" of the ‘delayed, disorganised’ NHS national IT programme.

‘We have a Government whose idea of liberty is forcing us all to carry little cards to prove who we are. It is the job of the Conservative Party to stop them,’ said Davis.
In response, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Nick Clegg asked how Davis could ‘explain Tory flip-flopping on identity cards,’ while Home Secretary John Reid said: ‘Cameron's Tories talk tough and vote soft on security.’

Cameron is counting on delays holding up the mass issuing of cards before the election, which is likely within three years and must be held by May 2010.

Also at the Tory conference, Google chairman and chief executive Eric Schmidt was invited to speak to delegates, after earlier paying a visit to Blair at 10 Downing Street.

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Further reading:

Tories: NHS IT project 'in doubt'

ID card scheme changes tack