The initial decision to destroy the cards was indeed made while Labour was in office, though not by the minister, but the cards were not in fact destroyed until the October after the May election. By that time worries about the possible effects of the proposal had been raised by offices.

It was a remarkably stupid thing to do, and I hope that those responsible for it will be identified and shamed. But in itself it wouldn't have mattered too much if a new policy of harassing immigrants and creating "a hostile environment" had not been introduced subsequently. This meant a totally unrealistic burden of proof was imposed on them, with an assumption that they were lying, coupled with a strict policy of forbidding any flexibility or use of common sense and common humanity on the part of those given the responsibility for enforcing the new regime.