Victory for Liberal Democrats as ID cards to be scrapped within 100 days

10.15.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 27th May 2010

"It is great news that the ID card scheme and the National Identity Register is going to be abolished," said Councillor Dave Radcliffe.

Dave Radcliffe and local Lib Dems have welcomed the news that ID cards are to be scrapped for British citizens within 100 days. The Liberal Democrats have campaigned against the introduction of ID cards since they were first announced by the previous Labour Government.

"It is great news that the ID card scheme and the National Identity Register is going to be abolished," said Councillor Dave Radcliffe. "Recent fiascos have shown the dangers of the Government holding huge amounts of information about each one of us whilst being slipshod in the way that same information is looked after."

Commenting on today's Coalition Government announcement, Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said:

"The wasteful, bureaucratic and intrusive ID card scheme represents everything that has been wrong with government in recent years."

"By taking swift action to scrap it, we are making it clear that this government won't sacrifice people's liberty for the sake of Ministers' pet projects."

"Cancelling the scheme and abolishing the National Identity Register is a major step in dismantling the surveillance state - but ID cards are just the tip of the iceberg. Today marks the start of a series of radical reforms to restore hard-won British freedoms."