Blunkett plays immigration ID card

Home Secretary David Blunkett has cited the problem of illegal immigration to persuade colleagues to back his plans for national identity cards.

With the Queen's Speech fast approaching, Blunkett is trying to rally support for his ID card plans, and has identified illegal immigration as a strong selling point.

The Queen's Speech, during which the government outlines its legislative plans, takes place on 26 November.

Blunkett has said that he hopes to convince sceptical colleagues to back his ID plans, and get the required legislation into the Speech.

The home secretary recently told the Home Affairs Select Committee that he was unsure whether colleagues would agree to incorporating the legislation into the Speech.

Blunkett supporter Martin Linton MP has insisted that asylum seekers target the UK because "there are no internal identity checks" and no outward passport controls to ensure that visa holders actually leave the country.

But opponents point to other European countries that have national ID cards, but still have problems with illegal immigrants.

"The expectation is that it will deal with immigration problems, but that's just not going to happen," David Winnick, Labour MP for Walsall North, said on Radio 4's Today programme.

"I hope that, when costs and civil liberties come into consideration, the idea will be dropped."

Supporters insist that the cards will not erode civil liberties, but instead act as entitlement cards guaranteeing access to public services.

"The cards will just contain ID information. It will be up to public services to use the card as an ID check, but any information they hold about you will be kept on their own systems," Linton told the programme.

Ian Brown, director of privacy campaigners the Foundation for Information Policy review, suggested that public service workers would reject the cards.

"It goes against the grain for professionals, such as doctors, to refuse treatment for those in need simply because the patient does not have an ID card," he said.

A Home Office spokeswoman stated that the Cabinet had been presented with proposals for a national ID card, but that discussions were still ongoing.

She added that no details of what would be in the Queen's Speech would be made public beforehand.