The BBC noted last month that a third of Britons do not intend to carry an ID card. Given that bad news on the costly and illiberal ID cards had to be hid on the day of Tony Blair’s departure, this must be one of the many nasty legacies he leaves for Gordon. So there’s a glimmer of hope for opponents in our party and elsewhere that his campaign manager has hinted at scrapping them.
You can sign the Lib Dems’ petition against ID cards here.
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3 Comments
In the last few days Gordon Brown has been heard to say that he supports the concept of each individual having only one set of identification data when dealing with the state – the concept of “official identity” as expounded on the ukcrypto list and at eEurope discussions earlier in this century. Moves are in place to gradually establish that, along with discussions with the banks to bring them under the same umbrella (as happens in other countries with the same liberal traditions as ours). Most of the discussions apply to attended transactions, face to face with a public servant (or banker), because we are not likely to deploy the technology needed for adequately secure transactions across the internet, despite the EC bureaucrats wanting that.
The national ID database is every bit as worrying as the physical ID cards themselves. If you’re right, there’ll still be a struggle against that to wage, if cards themselves are dropped.
“national ID database is every bit as worrying as the physical ID cards”
Little known fact – the Electoral Administration Act also sets up a national database by creating a national electoral register. Whilst the purpose of that is for electoral purposes the act does contain fairly wide powers for the Secretary of State to alter its purposes.
That particular proposal went through with virtually no comment or criticism in Parliament that I could see.
Gordon Brown may well drop ID cards. I doubt he will be any less fascist than Blair in this regard looking at his recent statements but he will sound a lot less so.
“English fascism when it arrives is likely to be of a sedate and subtle kind (presuably at any rate at first it won’t be calle Fascism)” George Orwell – Road to Wigan Pier