It was 16 years ago, on a platform at St Pancras International in central London, when home secretary Alan Johnson stood proudly and flashed a new identity card for the British, calling it a “no-brainer”.
The non-compulsory biometric card was a watered-down version of the Tony Blair government’s initial idea for a national ID card but, still, Johnson said it would combat fraud and allow holders, who would pay £30 for the privilege, to travel in Europe without a passport.
