Email leak fuels clamour to scrap ID Cards scheme

3.35.45pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 11th Jul 2006

UK National Identity Card (Design Mock-up)

It emerged at the weekend that the Government is planning a scaled-down version of the project so that it can meet a 2008 deadline. The plans emerged in a series of emails between officials working on the project, leaked to the Sunday Times, which warn that the interim version may not be "even remotely feasible".

Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary said "Those of us who opposed the ID cards Bill until the very end repeatedly warned ministers of the huge difficulties in implementing an ID cards scheme of this scale. There are serious practical objections to this uncosted and untested experiment, as well as fundamental objections of principle. This has now all been confirmed by Government officials themselves. How long will this Government continue to live in denial by ignoring the mountain of doubts about Tony Blair's harebrained ID Cards scheme?"