… because the Government is thinking about keeping all the records for you. Yes indeed, the BBC brings the news that the Home Office is thinking of introducing a national database containing details of every email sent in the UK.

Only a spoilsport would mention Big Brother, unnecessary surveillance, IT project failures, invasion of privacy, money being diverted from other more worth causes, risk of data being stolen, problems if there are any errors or any of that other stuff.

Today’s Observer brings news that the Government’s own security experts have many concerns about Labour’s plans to introduce mandatory ID cards:

In a potentially damaging revelation, which undermines claims that the scheme will enhance national security, the group has concluded that [ID cards] will be prone to corruption…

The Isap report goes on to warn that the scheme may not be embraced by government departments, suggesting the cards are not being well received in some Whitehall departments.

The panel also warns the initiative is struggling to fulfil its remit. It states that the scheme lacks a ‘robust and transparent operational data governance regime and clear data architecture’, suggesting there is confusion over its roll-out.

Released two months late, conveniently after the local elections, the Home Office has produced its latest ten year cost estimate for the ID scheme.

Campaigners NO2ID have pointed out that the report actually admits to an overall increase in costs but then dumps almost a billion pounds off its headline figure by creative accounting. This is done by delaying the rollout of the scheme to 2012, enabling ministers to omit a number of high volume costs that will occur after 2017/18, and dropping plans to check every applicant individually and take their fingerprints.

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne, says, “Minor changes in cost estimates cannot disguise the fact that nearly £5bn of taxpayers’ money will be squandered on a scheme that will fail to combat identify fraud, illegal working, crime or terrorism. This colossal waste of money should go on putting 10,000 more police on our streets instead.”