Climbdown on compulsory ID cards

Home Secretary Alan Johnson has dropped plans to make ID cards compulsory for pilots and airside workers at Manchester and London City airports.

The cards were due to be trialled there - sparking trade union anger

But Mr Johnson said the ID card scheme was still very much alive - despite Tory and Lib Dem calls to scrap it.

BBC political correspondent Jo Coburn said the government's original vision for ID cards was that the scheme would eventually become compulsory.

The government has always insisted it would not make them compulsory for UK citizens without giving MPs a vote on the issue - and it would not be compulsory to carry them.