Critics underestimate Tory opposition to ID cards

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Critics of the Conservative Party's intentions to scrap ID cards - and the IT contracts tied to them - do not understand the depth of the party's opposition to the scheme, the shadow home secretary has said.

Earlier this week, IT PRO reported that Shadow Home Secretary David Davis had announced that his party - if elected - would scrap the planned identity card scheme. The news drew criticism from UK IT trade organisation Intellect, which said it was concerned the party was interfering with business and warned of the costs of breaking contracts.

Writing in response to criticism from Intellect, Davis wrote: "Your dismissal of the serious objections of principle we have to ID cards as point-scoring demonstrates a failure to appreciate either the parameters of the public debate on ID cards or the depth of opposition."

He went on to say: "Your claim to be 'neither for, nor against the policy of introducing ID cards in the UK', given the clear commercial interest of a number of your members, is simply disingenuous."

Nick Kalisperas, director of Intellect's public sector programme, said the response didn't address his main concerns. "It's up to every government to decide on policies," he said. "But making such a pledge and interfering in the business decisions of companies is unprecedented."

Kalisperas said the debate highlights the need for improve the way the public sector handles IT projects. "I think it's in no ones interest for there to be a disconnect between IT and government given the manner in which technology permeates our lives," Kalisperas said.

In his letter, Davis also wrote that the Public Accounts Committee, which he previously chaired, has frequently recommended that "large IT projects should be segmented into several contractual phases to protect against the risks involved."

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