ID Cards on Trial: Blair faces backbench revolt

The government is facing a growing cross-party revolt over the Identity Cards Bill, which is due to face its second reading and vote in parliament on 28 June.

The warning comes from backbench Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews (Medway) who is backing silicon.com's ID Cards on Trial campaign to challenge the government over the unrealistic costs, unproven technology and creeping scope of the ID card plans.

Marshall-Andrews, who voted against the bill last time around before the election, said there is growing concern among MPs about how much the ID card scheme will actually cost.

Marshall-Andrews told silicon.com he is against the proposals on the grounds of cost, privacy and security concerns and said the biometric failure rates of up to 40 per cent will have "obvious consequences".

"It will provide a valuable tool for terrorists in that forged cards will be deemed to be positive proof of identity. The only effect that it will have on organised crime is to increase it by providing a new and extremely lucrative crime in the forging and sale of ID cards.

"It is not correct to say that other countries have this form of ID card. None do and the idea has been repeatedly rejected in America for many of the aforementioned reasons," he said.

Labour MPs Clare Short (Birmingham Ladywood) and John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) have also given their backing this week to silicon.com's campaign.

The growing public and political opposition to the ID cards bill has led to Home Secretary Charles Clarke slamming a "media campaign of scare stories" by ID card critics and dismissing estimates of £300 per card by the London School of Economics as "simply mad".