TORIES MAY BACK MANDATORY DIGITAL ID CARDS – A betrayal of personal privacy is being contemplated by the Tories
A betrayal of personal privacy is being contemplated by the Tories Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philip, says the Party will “very carefully” consider introducing compulsory digital ID cards.
Chris Philp said he believed there was a “very strong case” for introducing the cards to make it easier for people to prove who they are when using taxpayer-funded services.
But he added that the policy would raise questions around privacy and civil liberties and would therefore need to be rigorously assessed.
On Thursday, Mr Philp said it was a “legitimate and valid debate to have, and I think any responsible party should think about it very carefully”.
His comments came after Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, said in June that she would be open to the introduction of the cards to clamp down on illegal migration.
The last Labour government attempted to introduce ID cards, with the first issued in 2009, but the scheme was scrapped by the incoming Tory-led coalition on the basis that it was an “erosion of civil liberties”.
Sir Tony Blair and Lord Blunkett, the former home secretary who first put forward the idea, have remained strong advocates of compulsory ID cards
