"I will refuse to register for an ID card and will donate £10 to a legal defence fund but only if 10,000 other people will also make this same pledge"
www.pledgebank.com/refuse
So, Labour are back in and ID cards are still being proposed, but 64% of people who voted did so for parties that do not support ID cards and a National Register. I look forward to seeing some evidence of Blair's vow to listen.
The NO2ID campaign have set up a petition.
Update: The bill has just passed the first hurdle in parliament. If you have doubts PLEASE let your MP know.
There's a press release from the Home Office regarding the ID card consultation. You can download a summary of findings (900kb pdf) and the response to HAC report (420kb pdf). 48% of responses were opposed to the scheme, with 31% in favour, so nice to see how they've taken that on board and Blunkett is already talking about the legislation to make ID cards compulsary. It's not too late though - take action, you can still let your MP know what you think.
Hmmm... I've been quoted correctly (you can see my full response here) but credited incorrectly as it states "Name supplied (email)". After the fiasco of the first consultation exercise I used old fashioned post to make sure they read it this time - still, at least it proves someone did read it.
Apparently the response of the police can be summed up as "...introducing identity cards is in the best public interest and should be embraced, not feared". It's a shame that it was misuse of ID cards by the police that was largely responsible for their repeal in 1953, when the Lord High Chief Justice remarked: "it is obvious that the police now, as a matter of routine, demand the production of national registration identity cards whenever they stop or interrogate a motorist for any cause....This Act was passed for security purposes and not for the purposes for which, apparently it is now sought to be used.... in this country we have always prided ourselves on the good feeling that exists between the police and the public, and such action tends to make the public resentful of the acts of police and inclines them to obstruct them rather than assist them."
It's the official launch of the UK anti-ID card campaign on Saturday 18 September 2004.
Full report available from the BBC (800kb pdf) (that seems wrong but I can't find it on the government site at the moment so it will do). In short it says that ID cards should go ahead but it does highlight a few major problems with the propsed bill.
"We are concerned by the lack of clarity and definition on key elements of the scheme and its future operation and by the lack of openness in the procurement process."
The draft Identity Cards Bill is now available from the Home Office. There is an official consultation period until Tuesday 20 July.
The issues surrounding the introduction of ID cards are detailed at other sites. ID-unknown looks at the general absurdity of claims being made and will hopefully encourage some debate about the issue.
We need to make sure the government listens to our views, something that unfortunately didn't happen during the alleged public consultation in 2003.
