The smart money is on ID cards not being introduced anyway - there's already talk of a dedicated Border Police (which is a good idea in light of the fact that we'll never fully implement the Schengen agreement), and the sheer cost of the ID cards is also a huge consideration for someone like Brown to consider. He can't drop the policy just yet - but when it becomes obvious that the project is hugely late and unviable, say around 2009, I could see him announcing that they won't come in. The databases may still be created, but given other databases such as the DVLA one with no means of validation via ID cards, then it seems highly unlikely that they'll actually be of any use whatsoever.
There's also the fact that Scotland's already declared (under the last administration, too) that they won't be required to access any public services, apart from where it's out of their control. Given that the SNP/Lib Dems/Greens are against them full stop, it seems possible that they may even pass legislation ensuring that ID cards are not to be used in Scotland.
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