When Blair outlined his grand ID scheme way back when, I thought it a good idea, but have since revised my ideas. Blair failed with a civil service that backed him, I hate to think how the Tory's would fare. Even if things don't deteriorate as far as crabbyob believes (although I thought invoking Orville a nice touch), I have no faith in politicians dream projects. Our elected representatives have few skills that lead to good technical decisions, hence their hapless approach to the current crisis and their reliance on some very dodgy science.
The old adage of a camel being a horse designed by a committee being very true in this case. A very good example is the current issue of test and trace or the phone app. Rather than use tried and tested systems they went for a sophistication that does not yet exist, tried to force it through and failed miserably. We have had so many similar examples over the years that I would say incompetence, or downright sabotage is the rule rather than the exception.
Mike.X