Found out at the weekend that the government, or rather the MOD this time, has lost more personal data from my family.

This time my brother’s armed forces recruitment data was lost in a stolen laptop along with the data of 300,000 other recruits.

Amongst the more mundane pieces of personal information lost/stolen were scans of his driving licence and passport.

“Three generations???” I hear crying out from over the interweb.

Yes, my parents, as next of kin, are the third generation my family to join the ranks of people whose personal data has fallen down the back of the governmental sofa.

Although not as serious a loss as some of the other data lost, it still all adds up to increased risk of ID fraud for all concerned.

Over the course of the last month competence has become the big issue for Gordon Brown.

Northern Rock, the HMRC ID Fiasco and Dodgy Labour Donations over the last few weeks have tainted the Iron Chancellor as the Cheap Tin Premier, with little control over his party or the government.

If Brown can not shift this image quickly in the next couple of weeks he will be stuck with it.

Ming was well aware of what the media is like when they smell weakness or in his case a perceived weakness.

We will know the game is up for Brown when the media go into self perpetuation and we hear the immortal phrase - “Media commentators are saying….”

As of the 18th October my entire family was put at risk of ID Fraud by the UK Government.

Government advice at this time is to change passwords and keep an eye bank accounts.

What the government is failing to warn us about is the need for vigilance of our credit records. Although my data lost by HM Government could be limited to my name, address, NI number, and bank account details, these snippets could used to make many credit card, loan, hire-purchase and mortgage applications.

Assuming the Taxman’s CDs are never found, my 21-month-old son will have to check his credit record for bogus applications at his own expense for the rest of his life.

Any future ID Card refusal can be justified solely on the back of this fiasco.

Ironically whilst typing this post I have just received an email from credit reference agency Experian cashing in on the recent HMRC Fraud fears and trying to make £6.99 a month out of me.

after I have finished series 3 of the West Wing.