Business ID card support collapses

Support for the government's national biometric ID card scheme has collapsed among businesses sceptical of the proposed benefits and the cards' ability to tackle terrorism, according to research from the London Chamber of Commerce (LCC).

When the LCC last polled its member companies on ID cards two years ago there was overwhelming support with 73 per cent in favour. But that has now plummeted with only 26 per cent of company directors now believing the introduction of ID cards would benefit their business.

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) said ID cards would have no impact whatsoever on their business and six per cent said it would hinder their firm.

Significantly the poll was taken after the 7 July bombings in London yet fewer than half of the respondents (45 per cent) said they think ID cards would make UK cities safer from terrorist attack.

The company directors said public money would be better spent on more proactive policing with 77 per cent supporting more extensive use of stop-and-search powers and 70 per cent in favour of armed undercover police offers on tubes.

The survey also found that an alarmingly high number of businesses still have no contingency plans in place in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack, with 55 per cent of firms saying they had no business continuity plan.

The figures come from the LCC's quarterly Monitor survey, which interviewed the directors of 165 companies in London and the southeast.

LCC president Michael Cassidy said in a statement: "These are striking results which show that government needs a closer grip on what business is thinking on these important issues. Ministerial leadership on subjects like preparedness, business continuity and homeland defence needs to be sharpened up."

Tory leadership candidate David Cameron has also reaffirmed his party's opposition to the government's ID card plans.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph today about foreign and security policy he said: "The measures we take must never undermine the very liberal values we're seeking to preserve. So: no ID cards, no religious hatred laws that impinge on free speech, no detention of 82-year-old gentlemen under anti-terror legislation for heckling at Labour Party conferences."