I like the throw away line. It will take up to 15 years to start seeing the benefits of this. Thats a hell of a long time when the supposed threats we are all under are in place now. Bet its a different threat in 15 years.

In addition to the threat changing, what a way to cover yourself. If at first we don't succeed, well we did say it would take fifteen years. After fifteen years is the scheme is bunk whats the betting its not abandoned. Yeah, right.

Kill it, kill it now, kill it properly and lets have done.

I'd quit smoking on the spot. Drinking, too, if it became required for purchasing alcohol.

Not only will they not get my ID, they'll not get my tax.

Fuck 'em.

Why quit when you can just steal instead? That way you can drink, smoke *and* withold taxes all at once.

I don't smoke, either. I'd drink home brew - but I know how to make it so, likewise, they wouldn't get my tax.

However, as time progresses and they decide that I must have an ID card to get my pension or prescription medicines and it all becomes a little more difficult to avoid.

My grandchildren might require a card to get access to school..... A card might be required to access a train station or, indeed, to drive a motor vehicle through a tunnel (Dartford Tunnel?) All those who don't have one have to line up and be interrogated. It always starts small. That we are even considering the possible effects such an infringement of our liberty is breathtaking and sickening.

If we can't stop "them" (and we may not be able to because our parliamentarians/government get more money to waste if it continues) then we'd better start thinking positively how its excesses can be controlled.

Cretins all of them.

Unfortunately this seems like a perfect training ground for grassroots rebellion. Here the gov tried to increase cig taxes gradually (boiling the frog) and ended up teaching more and more previously law-abiding (or rather law-obeying) people how easy it was to circumvent the law as bootleg cigarette operations sprang into existence. This little industry grew each time taxes went up and is now massive and associated with gun and drug smuggling.

They would be better off with a blizkrieg approach denying access to anything without a card rather than allowing people to gradually build up an alternate infrastructure.

They don't seem to have the technical skills for this so look forward to a more and more lawless society.