CAMPAIGNERS opposed to ID cards said tonight they would remain vigilant after Gordon Brown appeared to downgrade the scheme.

Mr Brown announced in his speech at the Labour Party conference that compulsory ID cards would not be rolled out in the next Parliament — or before 2015.

But Chris Rimmer, chairman of the Oxfordshire branch of the national campaign group NO2ID, said he believed the Labour Party still planned to establish the National Identity Register, a database containing people’s personal details.

Father-of-two Mr Rimmer, 38, a software developer from Kennington, said: “Gordon Brown announced at the party conference that in the next Parliament there will be no compulsory ID cards for British citizens.

“But the issue we have with the Government is not the piece of plastic they plan to issue but the database they want to compile containing everyone’s details for ID cards and electronic passports, which would include fingerprint recognition.

“The Government has still not designed or built the National Identity Register, but we believe there is still a very real threat that they will try to go ahead with it at some point in the future, so we need to keep the pressure on.

“The Conservatives have promised to scrap plans for ID cards. If they are elected we need to make sure they live up to their promises.

“The Government should take note of how unpopular the scheme is and actually scrap it.

“This decision has been painted as a climbdown by the Government but we believe very little has changed — there is certainly no room for complacency.

“The former Conservative Party leader Michael Howard has shown support for ID cards in the past, so we need to watch the situation very carefully.”

The Conservative Party has dismissed ID cards, which would contain the fingerprints, name, date of birth, nationality and the person’s right to be in the UK.

Liberal Democrat city councillors Stuart McCready and Mark Mills are among those opposing ID cards. Mr Mills said: “The biggest cheer of the conference was when Gordon Brown appeared to be announcing that he was tearing up a key party policy.”

Dajinder Rana, a spokesman for the Home Office, said: “ID cards have already been issued to some foreign nationals.

“In the autumn, they will be made available for people in the Greater Manchester area who want them on a voluntary basis.”