7 days ago
A Reluctant Case for ID Cards in Britain
The debate over national identity cards is the hardy perennial of British politics. John Major floated voluntary ID cards in the mid-1990s only for the idea to fizzle out. Tony Blair introduced comprehensive legislation in 2006 — and a pilot scheme to boot — but the 2010 coalition government withdrew the legislation. Now the push is beginning again, with Labour Together, a think tank close to Keir Starmer, adding its voice to seasoned politicians such as Blair and William Hague. Let us hope this time the perennial bears fruit.
I sympathize with the libertarian arguments against ID cards, which change the relationship between the state and the citizen. They are at odds with the common law tradition that relies heavily on the notion of ancient liberties (the holdouts against the global trend toward identity cards have all been common law countries). 'Papers please' has an irreducibly Prussian ring to it.
