Lib Dem manifesto hits out at ID cards

The Liberal Democrats have made opposition to Labour's controversial ID card project a central plank of their election manifesto.

Instead of introducing ID cards, a Liberal Democrat government would spend the money on more police and technology to allow them to spend less time doing paperwork.

"Hundreds of millions [of pounds] can be saved by not introducing ID cards. That money would be better spent on increasing the number of police on the streets by 10,000 and providing them with the technology to make them more effective," the manifesto said.

The party said the average police officer today spends more time in the police station than they do on the streets, and that new technology and less bureaucracy will allow them to spend more time on patrol.

Other technology-related polices from the Liberal Democrats include proposals to scrap what the manifesto described as the "failing" Child Support Agency, which has been hit by IT problems.

The manifesto also claimed that because of a "teacher recruitment crisis", thousands of children are being taught key subjects by staff who are not trained specialists in that subject, and said it would guarantee that all children will be taught the core subjects, including ICT, by "suitably qualified" teachers.