I'm at loss to understand why the answer to halting the flow of illegal immigration is to foist an electronic ID card system on all of us.
Apart from the fact it will take years to implement, will no doubt cost billions and be mired in the usual confusion when governments try anything on this scale, are we really meant to believe this is the best way to put off so-called "unauthorised migrants" because it will make it more difficult for them to find work?
Although an accurate number of illegal immigrants is impossible to calculate, and despite needing a National Insurance number to get paid they are not all doing nothing. Does anyone really think unscrupulous businesses and organised criminals won't find ways round an ID card system?
It smacks of the excuse Labour has needed to press on with what was always Tony Blair's pet project. Just because successive governments (yes, Conservatives too) have failed to tighten our borders - why should we all have to accept yet another official intervention in our lives?
If Labour spent more of its record taxation to give the police and border forces the resources they need, and changed the law to stop human rights lawyers milking the system, such an imposition would not be necessary.
