UK ID cards will be useless in Europe

David Neal |

ACCORDING TO the UK’s Identity Minister, the Government’s ID cards won’t be worth the paper they’ll be printed on.

Despite the fact that the cards are almost in UK citizens’ wallets there is still a lot of work needed to raise awareness about them and their uses, particularly outside the British Isles.

In an interview with the Oldham Evening Chronicle, Lord Brett said that if holders leave the country and try to use the cards as some form of ID they will be met with blank faces and, we presume, Gallic shrugs.

Lord Brett said, “When we do launch it, we want to make sure all our ducks are in a row, it is not just marketing and selling the card to people who want to have it but to make sure first of all that all the countries in Europe will accept it and understand it as a travel document.” He added that unless this was the case there would be “no day one” for the cards.

Further damning the roll out, Brett said that the Police did not have the right to demand to see them, despite government claims that they will have a use in the fight against terrorism.

Brett also revealed the numbers of people who had already signed up to willingly receive the cards. In a display of underwhelming public support, 8,000 people have added their names to the list. Brett added, “It says what it does on the tin, it is your identity card, it is entirely voluntary.”

Meanwhile, millions of UK citizens have wisely chosen not to tear up their passports and driving licenses just yet, if ever.

RSS TrackBack URL

Translate: