This is what Gordon Brown said in his speech yesterday to Labour’s Conference:

“In the last two years we have looked again at how we can give the best security to our British citizens while never undermining their liberties.

We will reduce the information British citizens have to give for the new biometric passport to no more than that required for today’s passport.

And so conference, I can say to you today, in the next parliament there will be no compulsory ID cards for British citizens.”

This announcement, giving all the appearance of a sweeping and definitive policy change, follows modest changes publicised by Alan Johnson earlier this year.   Is the Government trying to draw the poison from the ID card issue?   Or is the truth that the Government is also retaining its long-term ambitions?

The Guardian reports that the Home Office is preparing to spend £500,000 on advertising campaign, which features cartoon fingerprints, between now and December.   In addition, 90,000 ID cards have already been issued as part of an earlier trial.   The government is going to start issuing cards to skilled migrants when they renew their visas, making take-up compulsory.   From this month the UK Border Agency will trial issuing ID cards at Post Offices, presumably in tandem with thge Home Office advertising campaign.

The ID card policy would seem to remain intact . . . for now.

There are two ways of looking at the ID card question:  

Yes

• The new Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, has reaffirmed the scheme as a “manifesto commitment”
• It would be expensive to break the contracts that have already been signed
• ID cards are already a reality and they will become increasingly accepted in the years ahead

No

• The Tories have promised to scrap the scheme and they are likely to win the next general election
• ID cards are an expensive scheme that the country simply cannot afford with the public finances in their present state
• The public mood is shifting against the scheme, from 55% in favour 3 years ago to less than 48% in favour now (No2ID)

It seems that what little support there was in the Cabinet for ID cards is receding, and fast.   But Mr Johnson also described ID cards this week as a “manifesto commitment” and part of the governments commitment to scrutinising digital data.  

ID cards might not be officially binned.   That said, don’t be surprised if ministers decide to kick the scheme into the long grass before the next general election.

• 30,000 ID cards have already been issued to non-EU nationals living in Britain
• Workers at London City and Manchester airports will be required to have them later this year
• British citizens living in Manchester will participate in a trial scheme
• The Identity and Passport Service plans to issue “significant volumes” of ID cards to people when they apply for a British passport from 2011/2012 

Government hopes that support for the cards will grow with time as people see how it can make their life easier.   If it wins the next general election, the Government has stated that MPs will get a free vote on making cards compulsory for all UK citizens over the age of 16.