Legal advice: Identity Cards Bill likely to be defeated

By thePublican.com's team of legal experts at London solicitors Joelson Wilson.​

Here's another sensitive political issue - identity cards. Despite the Labour government under Harold Wilson scrapping such a proposal some years ago, deeming it "unworkable", the introduction of ID cards to protect the UK against crime and terrorism has strong government backing. And, until recently, it was favoured by the Conservative front bench.

Much has been made of the benefits ID cards could bring in the war against terror and fraud - and they could also assist publicans in avoiding underage sales. Until recently, it appeared that the necessary legislation was being pushed through at speed, despite backbench opposition which presented forceful civil liberty arguments against any such measure.

Indeed, during Prime Minister's Question Time on February 9, Tony Blair said that "most people carry some form of ID anyway - I think that it's long overdue and we should get on with it".

By late February it was reported that the introduction of ID cards had been put on hold until after the General Election - expected on May 5. A change of heart from the Tories has seen them to abstaining in the third reading vote of the Identity Cards Bill.

Without opposition support in the Tory-dominated House of Lords, the Bill is effectively dead - for the time being. Should Labour win a third term in office, expect the whole process to start again!

Until ID cards become a reality (if at all) I suggest you refer to last week's Publican legal article which gives practical advice in avoiding prosecution for underage sales.