How to introduce ID cards: target a weak group who have no political voice in the UK

4.32.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 27th Sep 2008

That's the warning from Nick Clegg following yesterday's unveiling by of the design for mandatory ID cards:

ID cards for foreign nationals are the thin end of the wedge, whatever they look like - and the home secretary, who unveiled their design today, knows it. Here's how it goes:

Step 1: Target a weak group who have no political voice in the UK and who benefit from little public backing or support, and make them the guinea pig for a deeply unpopular policy.

Step 2: Once the sacrifice of their rights has embedded as "standard procedure", pick off the next target - airport workers perhaps - or a group similarly small and likely to fly under the public radar.

Step 3: Involve other public service workers in "sensitive" positions, followed next by students, and so it will go until we have all had our privacy surrendered to Labour's surveillance state.

You can read Nick's full piece at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/25/idcards.civilliberties