National ID scheme not on the cards

After months of political wrangling, the government has finally decided not to press ahead with its controversial national ID card scheme - for now at least.

The government has not ruled out introducing the cards completely, but instead has postponed introducing them until later on in the decade, according to a cabinet statement.

A national ID scheme could still be on the cards in the future, as Home Secretary David Blunkett is thought to be keen on introducing a voluntary ID card. The statement said there are still too many problems with introducing cards at the moment that need resolving, which would pave the way for a possible scheme in the future.

The wording of the statement was guarded, suggesting that cabinet support for Blunkett's attempt at being Big Brother is not universal: "In principle, cabinet believes that a national ID card scheme can bring major benefits. In practice, given the size and complexity of the scheme, a number of issues will need to be resolved over the years ahead."

Some MPs are known to be against ID cards, including Gordon Brown and Jack Straw, who said the idea had the potential to be a 'debacle'.

Nevertheless, the foundations for the ID card are being laid, regardless of whether or not Britons are forced to carry identities on a chip. The cabinet statement said: "We will legislate to enable the scheme to be introduced and plan on the bases that all the practical problems can overcome but we will reserve the final decision on a move to compulsion until later this decade."

The full details of how any future scheme will work are expected to be unveiled by Blunkett next month.