Every Briton will have an id card by 2010. Due to changes proposed by a Downing street think-tank, the overall cost has been slashed by £44 billion.
Home sercretary Jacqui Smith is said to be delighted by the new approach, which will drop the biometric chip, photograph and any information pertaining to the holder.
"In this day and age, when you have a terrorist hiding in every shadow and a sniper on top of every lampost, the idea of carrying around your entire identity on one small-easy-to-steal card was simply insane" says Jez Spaulding, the leading think-tank driver. "Now the card will be a simple piece of black plastic with a serial number, should you lose your card, or be caught on a random street search without it, the penalties will be severe, but if your an honest citizen, you'll have nothing to worry about"
Jacqui Smith was at a roulette table in Blackpool and unavailable for comment.
