Hmmm... they weren't going to be cheap in the UK.

I think, to be honest, there's a sense (rightly or wrongly) in the UK that the idea of ID cards issued by the government to every person is a step too far in the government meddling in individuals' affairs. People seem very happy muddling along and producing an array of documents and quasi-official correspondence to prove their identity and their address - driving licenses, credit cards, electricity bills, telephone contracts, and so on.

It is notable that a lack of universal ID cards is a feature of just about every Anglo-Saxon-Celtic country. For example, when the government in Australia suggested introducing a similar scheme back in the 1980s, there was a most almighty hoo-ha, and the idea was quietly and quickly dropped. Nothing has been heard of it there since.

And there is no requirement to carry ID on one's person in most of these countries either. In the UK, you don't even have to take your driving licence with you when you drive: if it is demanded, you can produce it later at a police station.