Back in the old days, before we had a government that cared about civil liberties, Labour were busy telling us how wonderful ID cards were. No-one was quite sure what they were useful for (beating terrorism? tackling benefit fraud? getting a drink in the pub? travelling to France without a passport?) but whatever it was, they were really good at it.
Now, thanks to some persistent questioning from No2ID National Co-ordinator Phil Booth, we know that of the nine people who featured in the glossy advertising telling us how ID cards had transformed their lives and possibly cured cancer, all but one were government employees.
As the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) admitted yesterday in response to an FOI request
We can confirm that eight of the nine people quoted on the website at the time either worked for the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), the Home Office or another government department or agency
The Register has the story, along with the key question – who was the one person found to promote ID cards not on the government payroll?
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6 Comments
It would seem nobody really gives a damn about your muckracking Iian,maybe they are more interested in what YOUR government are up to.
i.e. Clegg lying to the electorate.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/29/nick-clegg-changed-mind-cuts
Shock, horror! Labour’s lies and deception. Why, oh why, am I not surprised?!
Wonder if they offered the employees a pay rise for taking part in the propaganda activity?
I’m happy with mine! I had to get it because I’m from outside the UK. It provides a way of identifying myself that is not vulnerable to identity theft (not that I was terribly worried about that!), and it’s good ID since I don’t drive. (And I think that I’ll get fast-tracked in the airport when I’m in and out of the country. I would have volunteered to appear in the glossy advertising if I’d been asked, so you can deduct one of the government employees! (But I’ll still support the Lib Dems if given an opportunity…)
What makes you think that? It’s easily stolen.
Republica: Are you going to post that link to the Guardian on every thread? Whatever the topic?
It could get old.
Especially as anyone watching BBC2 this evening will have heard what N.C said. It’s not some deep secret you’ve uncovered.
(Despite your apparent fears, your other link to the article hasn’t been deleted.).
It’s just a shame that the coalition’s Identity Documents Bill, which purports to scrap the ID Card and National Identity Register, sets up a legal framework for an even more intrusive scheme to be trivially introduced in future. Having joined the Lib Dems at the same time I joined No2ID, primarily over their principled position on the National Identity Register, and having watched seen the Tories’ conversion from supporting the scheme to opposing it, I thought this was one thing that the Coalition could easily get right. Sadly, it seems I was wrong.
http://press.mu.no2id.net/2010-06/id-repeal-bill-a-good-start-but-bad-in-parts/
And that’s before we get into the Coalition violating their own agreement by continuing the NHS Summary Care Records system…