Compulsory ID cards plan slammed

London Evening Standard ^ | Dec. 12, 2002 | London Evening Standard

[JohnathanRGalt]

Compulsory ID cards plan slammed

12 December 2002

Government plans for a compulsory national identity card have come under fire.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Simon Hughes says the Government cannot be trusted with the proposal to keep huge amounts of personal data.

Ministers are also wrong to claim the new cards will help counter terrorism, he says.

"The people who flew the planes into the Twin Towers had ID cards, the issue was not that nobody knew who they were," said the MP.

"This is not a Government whom I trust with my liberty.

"Given its track record on negligence, let alone of incompetence and lack of investment, handing over the data for all kinds of agencies to see fills me with the greatest suspicion."

He gave the example of Labour's much heralded Human Rights Act, which within 18 months had been opted out of in order to keep foreign terror suspects in prison indefinitely without trial.

"Under proposals from Home Secretary David Blunkett, people will be unable to use services like the NHS, schools or libraries without the entitlement card."

Ministers believe they will help deter illegal immigrants, illegal working and tackle identity fraud which costs �1.3 billion a year in the UK.

Home Office Minister Lord Falconer, speaking at a meeting at the London School of Economics, said in a survey of 450 people who saw a demonstration of "biometric" technology, which may be used in the new system, 81% said they were in favour.

And 64% said they supported a scheme where everyone had to have a card to access public services.

[JohnathanRGalt]

"This is not a Government whom I trust with my liberty".

UK Proposes Compulsory ID Cards

[Fish out of Water]

bump

[JohnathanRGalt]

UK Ping for the stinking badges...

"Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges!"
"El Bandido", as played by Alfonso Bedoya in "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948)

[buffyt]

We just watched that movie recently. We LOVED that scene! Great Movie! We have told our youngest son who is 18 that Humphrey Bogart movies are the best. He still hasn't watched CASA BLANCA but he plans to!

I think this statement is a mouthful....."the Government cannot be trusted with the proposal to keep huge amounts of personal data.".... just think President Hillary.......

[David Hunter]

Home Office Minister Lord Falconer, speaking at a meeting at the London School of Economics, said in a survey of 450 people who saw a demonstration of "biometric" technology, which may be used in the new system, 81% said they were in favour.

I wonder what that 'demonstration' showed, talk about leading people to give the answer you want. Personally, I wouldn't trust the British government with all my personal details any more than I'd trust a lunatic with a strimmer to give me a hair cut. But that's just my opinion.