Who says this government is lacking in new ideas? Here’s a stunning piece of innovative thinking from the Prime Minister on the subject of the much-hated ID card scheme.

[T]he PM was concerned enough about introducing such a huge multi-billion pound scheme to insist that the technology must work before it is introduced.

Sound thinking and it’s only taken ten years of a Labour government to come up with the plan. Makes you wonder if government ministers have been weeing before undoing their flies all this time as well.

This new initiative, however, is what’s known in the trade as putting the cart after the horse. And shutting the gate before the horse has bolted. It’s a tried and tested part of everyday life, making sure things work before you use them, else we’d still be living in caves or extinct. But it’s a new and bold step apparently in the development of government computer systems.

It does, however, prompt this thought. We’re up to our necks in schemes has the PM been unconcerned enough about introducing to not insist that the technology must work before it is introduced. Sure, some brave mavericks have taken risks in the furtherance of human understanding but at least they were only risking their own necks. And the likes of Orville and Wilbur Wright didn’t take the attitude of, ’sod it, it’s only got one wing but let’s try it anyway’.