I haven't started an exciting heated debate about anything for weeks.  So here's my hot topic for the week:  ID cards.  As you can see, Charlie Boy above has one, and very nice it is, too.

My opinion:

Nice idea, but all a bit pointless. They keep harping on about it helping to reduce fraud and money laundering, illegal immigration, terrorism and stuff, but I just can't see how.  If a guy from the fraud department of a bank can't see the point, then you ain't conna convince Joe Public.

Then there's the supposed convenience of having a single identity document to replace the passport and driving licence.  Again nice idea.  Again... what's the point?  How often do we need these documents - for opening bank accounts?  Something we do once in a blue moon?

The cost of £90 odd quid quoted in the article seems overly high - something here smacks of golf meetings.  Plus there's been lots of stuff around about how that's a low estimate and that it could be up to 3 times higher.  I don't wanna fork out that much for something I don't think I need.

On the other hand, there's all these people that go on about a Big Brother nation and how we can be monitored wherever we go and be required to ID ourselves every 5 minutes.  To them, I'd point out that every time they use a debit or credit card, make a phone call on their mobile, use the internet and so-on you're advertising your location, spending habits and opinions to your provider.  If the authorities want this info, they can get it with no real trouble.  For those people that worry about these things, we already have the basis for a BB state - the ID card ain't gonna make a difference.  Personally, I don't really care.

Ho hum.  Now I've started it, I'll let you all discuss.  get on with it!