The cards were being piloted at Manchester and London City airports prior to a national roll out. The Identity and Passport Service (IPS), which is implementing the National Identity Scheme, said that airside workers will still be encouraged to obtain a card to speed up security checks, and improve the movement of reference checks between employers and airports.
A spokesperson for the IPS told GC News the home secretary had been equivocal that the scheme should be voluntary. The airport staff had been told it would be compulsory for them for security reasons.
According to a report in The Guardian, Johnson commented: "Holding an identity card should be a personal choice for British citizens – just as it is now to obtain a passport.
"Accordingly, I want the introduction of identity cards for all British citizens to be voluntary and I have therefore decided that identity cards issued to airside workers, planned initially at Manchester and London City airports later this year, should also be voluntary."
In a statement, Johnson said he is still a supporter of identity cards and wants to speed up their delivery. He said the government will now focus on making them available to young people to act as proof of age, claiming this would help communities deal with retailers selling restricted goods to teenagers.
Johnson said: "There will be significant benefits to individuals from holding an identity card, which will become the most convenient, secure and affordable way of asserting identity in everyday life. Identity cards will also be valid for travel throughout Europe in place of a British passport.
"That is why I have announced today that I intend to see their introduction speeded up. The benefits are not just for individuals but also for communities where a reliable proof of age will be invaluable in the fight against under age drinking and young people trying to buy knives. But at the same time, these cards will benefit young people who, on average, have to prove their age more than twice as often as adults and I want to make that process simple and secure."
Johnson's decision will add further fuel to speculation that the national roll out of the cards will not go ahead. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have both said it should be scrapped.
Philippe Martin, senior analyst at Kable, said that Johnson has returned to the original focus of the scheme when it was announced by his predecessor David Blunkett in 2002.
"There is a reshaping of the scope of the scheme." he said. "It was a move too far to force airside workers to use the cards when it is meant to be about protecting and helping citizens.
"A lot of the talk has been about using the cards to fighting terrorism and identity theft, but now Johnson wants it to be more about proof of age and helping to deal with the associated social problems."
