Sir, Tony McNulty, the Home Office Minister, said in Parliament last week that only 21 people had contacted the Home Office with civil liberties concerns since the reintroduction of the Identity Cards Bill four weeks ago. However, many thousands of people have expressed their concerns during the history of this Bill.
The Government’s plans for compulsory registration on a national identity register and introduction of ID cards are an affront to civil liberties.
Issues of cost and practicality aside, the proposals represent a fundamental change in the relationship between the citizen and the State.
We believe that, as well as being an unacceptable imposition on every resident of the UK, the proposed ID scheme will jeopardise social cohesion and integration and presents a threat to many marginalised, disenfranchised and disadvantaged members in our society.
PHIL BOOTH
(National Co-ordinator NO2ID campaign)
REHANA AZAM
(National Officer, GMB)
BARRY CAMFIELD
(Assistant General Secretary Transport and General Workers’ Union)
SHAMI CHAKRABARTI
(Director, Liberty)
TIM GARDEN
(Liberal Democrat defence spokesman in the Lords)
MARK OATEN
(Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman in the Commons)
office@no2id.net