One of the main arguments put forward by the government for its digital ID card proposal seems to be: “If Estonia can do it, why not Britain?” The answer could be that the former Soviet republic is rather better at large-scale IT projects than the United Kingdom, which has – to put it politely – a mixed success in the field.
But assuming that the scheme is capable of being delivered “in this parliament” as the prime minister promises, and can justify the as-yet unspecified expenditure, there is an argument for its introduction. Yet many substantive questions remain.
