Britain tries the National ID:

Britain apparently is setting up a national ID including biometric ID. First will come the national register (data base) and then the plastic cards. Here's an angry article claiming (among other things) that the rate of people turning age 16 will exceed the rate of people who can be biometrically ID'd in a year. (In other words, the registry will never be complete.)

Keep an eye on the british National ID. They have less privacy protection and rights than Americans, and the government may still have a very hard time managing the registry. Here's a web site fighting against the British National ID.