The UK has spent £4.4 billion ($6.6bn US) on a controversial high-tech National Identity Card scheme for the whole country. The card, intended to be issued to government workers first and the general population soon after, would include biometric information such as facial scanning data and fingerprints, encoded onto the card. Sounds great if you’re into the whole Big Brother thing — but they forgot one thing. No police or border station, to say nothing of licensing and job centers, has a machine capable of reading the damn things.
Incredibly, they neglected to include in the budget the absolutely necessary counterpart to the card: the card reader. Like an inexperienced shopper who buys a digital camera but not a computer to view the pictures on, they are now in possession of a far-reaching and complete ID tracking solution that they can in no way use. What a boondoggle!
The official word is that the reader rollout may cost taxpayer money (brilliant, Sherlock) and is not really being pursued that actively. While it would make sense to get a few IDs out there first and then follow up with the readers after six months, perhaps, that was not at all included in the budget and in fact the readers’ manufacturers haven’t been convinced it’s “worth their while” to make the things.
Shall we just stop this not-so-little project about……………… now?
Crunchgear.com via BOM
Stars are gathering for the award of the “Dougies”. They are BAFTA [Bloody Awful Foolish Thrashing Around] awards for blind obstinacy in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Awarded annually since 1915, the nations first winner was Field Marshall Douglas Haig for his part in formulating the Somme offensive of 1916. {He also won the following year with his 1917 attack in the Flanders mud.}
Lord Lamont was nominated for his part in Black Wednesday, while Tony Blair was a deserved winner in 2003 for WMD.
Identity minister Meg Hillier’s ID card is scheme is leading this years nominations, in what is a tough field with the NHS database, the VAT cut, and Gordon Brown’s trying to insist that ‘British jobs for British workers’ was only about enterprise training.
Is that serious?
Christ. Almighty.
At least I can say that I was right that our Government is far too incompetent to be totalitarian…
BQ – what about the travel database?
Stu – no idea, but it sounds plausible, doesn’t it! I mean who could spend £12bn on an NHS computer system which still doesn’t work after ten years? New Labour, that’s who.
Please tell me this is a joke.
I mean, I have blogged often enough that they are incompetent at the basic tasks aof governing, but this is just unbelieveable!
And there was me thinking civil servants were supposed to be helpful.
Excellent new post by Old Holborn IMHO if you’re interested, on the subject of ‘nothing to hide’.
Say no to ID cards.
He is not my cup of tea I’m afraid.