There’s an interesting post over at the Expat Focus blog on the experience of British people living in countries where carrying ID is mandatory.

Even in EU countries some police officers view it as suspicious and then you have two things going against you - firstly you’re a foreigner and secondly a foreigner without identity! The position sometimes can even be absurd. In some countries for example, local citizens must by law carry an identity card at all times although paradoxically there is no such requirement for foreigners - much to the chagrin of the locals who perhaps understandably can’t quite see the logic!

What caught my eye was this “essence of Britishness”:

It’s also best to avoid the response I once heard from a Briton who’d been stopped by a policeman: “I don’t need an identity card, I’m British and I already know who I am”. Funny and true, perhaps, but sadly the policeman didn’t appreciate the humour!

Now many leading politicians including Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg have promised to defy law and refuse to sign up for and carry an ID card. It makes you wonder how many British people will have a response similar to the above quote. If that number is high enough it will make a mockery of the entire scheme. Then what exactly will the authorities do?