Herald columnist Brian Wilson argues that ID cards are the European norm which help to combat illegality and can allay legitimate public concerns

I switched on radio the other day in time to catch the distinctive sneer of Stephen Flynn assuring listeners that Keir Starmer had succeeded in “uniting Scotland” in opposition to identity cards.

This thesis was quickly called into question when a selection of street interviews, or vox pop as they say in the trade, ranged from very favourable to not particularly concerned. Pleasingly, the street was in Aberdeen.

I place myself firmly in the middle of these two camps. Every time this issue has come up over the years, I’ve found difficulty in understanding the grounds for opposition. The further we advance into the digital age, the less rational it becomes.

Maybe it’s because I grew up in a place with lots of Americans and “ID cards” was part of their common parlance, that the concept has never held any mystique. It just seems a common sense tool, like a driving licence or passport.

On the other hand, if it is going to become another battle ground in a culture war, with a Scottish sideshow thrown in, then we’ll probably get by without them and those who, for whatever reason, don’t fancy being identified will breathe more easily.

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