Government backtracks on ID cards with Manchester Airport plans

2.44.41pm GMT Thu 6th Nov 2008

GOVERNMENT plans to introduce compulsory ID cards across the country were dealt a blow today with the news that only two airports would be trialling the £5 billion ID cards scheme.

As many as 200,000 airside workers across all UK airports were due to be given ID cards in the latter half of 2009, but now only airside staff at Manchester and London City airports will be taking part in the pilot scheme.

Elwyn Watkins, Liberal Democrat PPC for Oldham East & Saddleworth, said, "The government's ID cards require less checks than existing security measures, so it is not surprise that the Unite union and the airline industry have opposed the full-scale roll-out of ID cards to airport workers.

"This represents a full-scale roll-back of the government's expensive and deeply flawed ID cards scheme. Opposition like this from an industry which requires top-notch security shows just how useless the government's £5 billion ID cards will be."

"There are now no specific plans to roll-out the scheme to other airports once the trial is concluded. This is an attempt by the government to save face - there is no way they will be able to roll-out ID cards before the next election, so it is extremely unlikely that it will happen.

"Rather than waste £5 billion on a scheme that will make no-one safer, the government would do better to invest in extra policing - crime detection and prevention would get a big boost if there were another 10,000 police on Britain's streets!"