GIVEN the disastrous Budget, is it not time for the sacred cows of ID cards and Trident II to be sacrificed? The deeply unpopular ID scheme will cost at least £5bn at today’s prices while Trident II will cost £25bn-plus.
There is no evidence that an ID cards system will work, given this Government’s appalling track record of failed IT schemes and leaked personal data.
Trident was designed for a Cold War that ended 20 years ago and is a complete white elephant in today’s world.
Even Blairites such as former Cabinet minister Stephen Byers are calling for them to be scrapped, given the need to make some big spending cuts. It is only our dithering Prime Minister, who was originally against the ID scheme, but is now all in favour, who cannot do the sums.
Leslie Rowe, Green Party European Election Candidate (Yorkshire and Humber), Brompton-on-Swale, Richmond, North Yorkshire.
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