Mandelson "rules nothing out" for future of ID cards

But Downing Street denies identity scheme is under threat

Mandelson: Foolish to rule out anything

Downing Street has denied that first secretary Lord Mandelson implied that the government's controversial ID cards programme is among projects in danger of being cut in a bid to balance the government’s spending books.

The business secretary was replying to a question on BBC Radio 4 which asked if ID cards and the replacement for the Trident nuclear deterrent are among the costs that could be put on the "back burner" in a bid to reduce the huge deficit faced by the Treasury in the wake of the economic crisis.

Mandelson replied: "They have not been collectively discussed by ministers, but if you are saying to me that we are going to rule things out in advance of our consideration of these matters, I would say it would be foolish to rule out anything."
Mandelson, in a later speech to the Blairite think tank Progress, said that the government recognised the need to "prioritise and economise" while protecting frontline services as the UK emerges from recession.

A Downing Street spokesman said Lord Mandelson was talking "in generic terms " and that there had been no review of either ID cards or Trident.