Nanny's Undue Haste

Beware an old man in a hurry, or so the old saying goes.

In this particular case I would advise you to beware of an old woman in a hurry, specifically Nanny. As she sees that her time in office may be growing short, after all the British people are now thoroughly fed up with the maladministration and control freakery of the current regime, Nanny is concerned to ensure that her flagship legislation doesn't get holed below the water line

Specifically, she is absolutely determined to push forward with her ID cards legislation.

Nanny plans to race forward with the multi-billion pound infrastructure and to ensure that it is up and running before the next election, thereby neutering a Tory pledge to scrap it.

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, earlier this month had said that ID cards were a monument to over-mighty government:

"I promise you this in office, we will pull it down."

Unfortunately some erections are harder to pull down than others, so to speak!

Nanny's little chum Andy Burnham, the home office minister responsible for the scheme, said that Mr Cameron's "throwaway line" is irrelevant; as the rapid roll-out of the scheme would make it impossible to reverse.

Burnham arrogantly crowed that it would be a fait accompli by the 2008 or 2009 expected date of the next general election. Nanny is unwise to allow her arrogance to be so openly displayed.

Burnham gushed:

"I'm keen to see plenty of ID cards in circulation come the next election.

The whole landscape will have changed by the time if, and it's a big if, the Tories ever get anywhere near power."

Can you smell the fear oozing from Nanny's orifices?

Anyhoo, Nanny's trolls in the Home Office are gearing up rapidly (can any civil servant act "rapidly"?) to start the multi-billion pound procurement process.

Burnham predicted that companies would be keen to tender their bids:

"Everything's changing now we've got royal assent.

The private sector's engagement will change radically in the next few months."

Needless to say, the wise amongst you will know that to rush headlong into any major IT project is fraught with dangers...even if firms with the awesome reputation of Crapita tender for it!

More money down the drain, but Nanny doesn't care as it is not her money!

Those of you who need reminding as to why ID cards are bollocks should read Top Ten Reasons Why ID Cards Are Bollocks.