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£5.4 Billion (est) for ID cards

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Just watching the news now. Basicly the cost of getting this ID card scheme up and running in going to cost (us) an estimated 5.4 billion.

Is this REALLY worth it?, and will actually change anything given the time its going to take to set up etc.

I wasn't bothered about ID cards being intoduced. Their compulsory in other countries, but 5.4 BILLION?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    But the Tories, who want the scheme scrapped, say the true cost is likely to be £20bn and the cash would be better spent on building more prisons.

    Hate to say it, but i agree.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i can't say i've seen one good argument for it so far, but we all know why they're doing it anyways, totalitarianism here we come woop woop.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And we think it's a lot, but if we only knew how many billions they spend on more useless stuff I think we would have really reason to be pissed off... but this is britain anyway, so doesn't matter if noone agrees to it, it still pass...

    I have no problem with ID tho, been having one since Iam 5 and I think it's great, can go anywhere in europe with it, no passport needed :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just watching the news now. Basicly the cost of getting this ID card scheme up and running in going to cost (us) an estimated 5.4 billion.

    Is this REALLY worth it?, and will actually change anything given the time its going to take to set up etc.

    I wasn't bothered about ID cards being intoduced. Their compulsory in other countries, but 5.4 BILLION?


    If you look at the history of any government estimate of costs you'll usually find in reality the cost will be double so think more like £10 Bn
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think that is a goverment estimate.

    I think the estimate is by a think tank or by academic economists (or both)

    The govts estimates are (predictably) noticeably lower I believe........
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If I had even the vaguest faith in the government not totally buggering up the computer programme I might actually support it.

    But we all know that they will massively over spend, it wont work, and wont prevent any crimes.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote:
    If I had even the vaguest faith in the government not totally buggering up the computer programme I might actually support it.

    But we all know that they will massively over spend, it wont work, and wont prevent any crimes.
    :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    £5.4 billion could be spent better elsewhere - it would be best put towards a tax cut. The idea that ID cards will provide 'value for money' in eradicating benefit fraud and illegal immigration is fantastical. As has been said the projected cost would turn out to be an enormous underestimate and the database would probably crash or turn out to be full of security holes. (Just remember that centralised air traffic control database…it crashed, there were huge delays. ID cards are unnecessary and will create more problems rather than solve existing ones).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    £5.4 billion could be spent better elsewhere - it would be best put towards a tax cut.

    Tax cut on what, in terms of government income £5Bn really isn't much, they could maybe take a penny off a pint of beer?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Its just under £100 per person so its not insignificant - OK its not going to break the bank, buts its more than 1p on the price of beer.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote:
    Tax cut on what, in terms of government income £5Bn really isn't much, they could maybe take a penny off a pint of beer?

    Which is why I said it should be put towards a tax cut. People on lower incomes especially should pay less income tax/national insurance. (Further, NI and income tax should be simplified into a single tax).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    (Further, NI and income tax should be simplified into a single tax).

    That I'd definitely like to see, the whole idea of NI is a total joke, it goes into general taxation just like the rest. But if you put them together it would look like a big tax rise so the public (being a bit thick) wont go for it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    (Further, NI and income tax should be simplified into a single tax).


    i think everyone reckons this really, actually i might decide to send an email to my MP and the chancellor :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    £5.4 billion could be spent better elsewhere - it would be best put towards a tax cut.

    Or even in working with deprived areas which would offer a shit load more benefit to society as a whole - e.g. reduced crime, improved health (there lower NHS needs) possibly even employment opportunities...

    Call me radical if you like but tax cuts have been tried before and trickle down economics is a phallacy.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Trickle down is a reference to tax cuts for the rich benefiting society as a whole.

    I beleive Dis made it clear that he was referring to tax cuts for the poor..........
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    cutting taxes for the low paid, and removing tax credits, and replacing them by raising the minumum wage would be the best use for £5billion quid

    or they could not spend it and reduce the government's lending
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Raising the min wage doesn't directly cost anything........
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