Identity cards in Britain

Dr Agar examined the two experiences of identity cards during the periods around the First and Second World Wars, the problems experienced with them, and what lessons the government can take from the experiences to improve possible future implementation.

The first national register (1915-1919), and accompanying identity card, was a failure, and the second (1939-1952) a partial success. The success of the second system was secured by analysing the causes of the failure of the first.

Dr Agar said: “Universal registration systems have repeatedly been proposed as solutions to short-lived moral panics. But there is little evidence that national registers effectively resolve such panics. The latest government proposals seem to resemble the first national register more than the second. Policymakers would do well to follow their predecessors and learn from the past.”

The History & Policy website was established in 2002 to provide a forum for contemporary policy debate. The History and Policy website is organised jointly by the Centre for Contemporary British History, University of London, the Centre for History in Public Health, University of London and the Faculty of History, University of Cambridge. It is run in association with seminars held in central London to provide opportunities for policy-makers and advisers to meet academics and researchers.