Fool Britannia

As if Tony Blair’s posse of ponces weren’t unpopular enough for forcing through a national ID card, now it turns out that when they said the cards would be “voluntary,” they neglected to add, “unless you plan to ever travel outside the U.K.”

Billed as a tool in the fight against “terror,” the National ID card came under heavy protest. No cause for concern, said Identity and Passport Service CEO James Hall. Getting the card will be a citizen’s choice. But in a recent Web-chat, Hall went into more detail. “There is no need to register,” Hall said. “But you will forgo the ability to have a passport.”

Passport applicants will have to supply the 49 pieces of personal information that go onto the card. That information will go into the national register and the applicant will have to pay the ID card’s £93 fee. The “voluntary” aspect is just in physically receiving the card itself. With millions applying for travel documentation every year, critics say the government is essentially trying to make the cards mandatory.

The Home Office insists they never hid the opt-out conditions from the public. Anti-card citizen’s group NO2ID says the Home Office should expect legal battles nonetheless.

by Scott Saxon