ID Cards, Again.

Two of the major players in the UK IT market have decided not to even get involved in bidding for contracts for the ID Card Scheme.

Accenture have told the FT it was pulling out for a mixture of "political and commercial reasons". BAE told The Register "We have withdrawn but it's for commercial reasons - at this stage our assessment is that our bid wouldn't deliver everything the project requires. We will continue to monitor the project with interest."

Now for two players to *not* want to get involved in a major bit of payola like the ID Card scheme, you really have to wonder just what the hell is wrong with it, and how much of a poisoned chalice it really is.

Interestingly, the FT & The Register both report a leaked document (confirmed by the Home Office) which says that smaller volumes of ID cards should first be issued from 2010 onwards to young people to "assist" them in opening up their first bank accounts - which could be entertaining seeing as their data has already been lost by the Government, they might find they've already got a couple of bank accounts, loans, mortgages etc - as well as to individuals employed in "positions of trust", such as teachers and social workers. Not MPs you'll notice.

The British Bankers' Association said that it had not been involved in any discussion - which seems pretty much par for the course - on the use of ID cards by young people. "This has come like a bolt from the blue," it said to the FT.

Meanwhile, Damian Green, shadow immigration minister, said that the leaked documents showed that the government was engaged in an "outrageous plan" which was "staggering from shambles to shambles".

Mr Green said: "They are trying to introduce ID cards by stealth by making them necessary if you want to work for the government, take out a student loan or open a student bank account. This is blackmail and a desperate attempt to bolster a failing policy."

Well said that man. Could the last person left please turn off the lights? Ta.