Trouble On The Cards

[R.A. Hettinga]

<http://www.mirror.co.uk/printable_version.cfm?method=printable_version_mirror&objectid=14995733&siteid=50143>
TROUBLE ON THE CARDS



 By Bob Roberts Deputy Political Editor

  

PLANS to bring in compulsory ID cards are to be hit by a double rebellion
in the Commons today.

Up to 30 Labour MPs are expected to oppose controversial Government moves
to introduce the cards by 2008.

And Tory leader Michael Howard - who has given his backing to the cards -
is also facing a revolt by his own MPs as up to 40 "go missing" in the vote.

Senior Tory Damian Green yesterday branded the cards "authoritarian" and
said: "They will make us less free without making us safer."

And Mr Howard's own head of policy David Cameron says the cards are a
"waste of money". Earlier he said: "Is it time for national identity cards
to deal with the problems of illegal immigration, crime and foreign
visitors abusing our NHS? My answer is 'No'."

Campaign group No2ID called the plan "pointless, expensive and an abuse of
human rights".

National group co-ordinator Mark Littlewood warned demonstrations would
follow. He said: "With the level of opposition we're experiencing, a
backlash on the scale of the anti-war demonstrations looks likely."

Yesterday Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy urged the government to
delay the plan, to give time to "pause and reflect". He added: "That is the
sensible way to go about it but I think this Government has got itself so
much into tram lines now that it is not behaving sensibly at all."

If a large number of Tories fail to vote on the Bill it could plunge Mr
Howard into a new leadership crisis.

But incoming Home Secretary Charles Clarke is expected to sweep aside calls
for a delay when he faces the Commons for the first time in his new role.
He insisted: "I certainly shall not pause. I will go ahead with the
legislation.

"Identity cards are a means of trying to create a secure society. I have
always been a supporter."

Despite the rebels, the Bill introducing the cards is expected to be voted
through by a combination of loyal Tories and Labour MPs.

Mr Clarke is expected to announce that the poor and pensioners will get
cut-price ID cards to ease the cost, predicted to be around #85.

The former Education Secretary will also promise tough punishments for
anybody caught abusing the sensitive personal information which will be
held on a massive computerised database.

And he will insist cards will help the fight against terrorism, organised
crime and illegal immigration.

The credit card-sized documents will be issued from 2008 to anyone who
applies for or renews a passport.

The proposals were first introduced by David Blunkett.

The ID cards will carry "biometric" details about each bearer, such as
fingerprints or an electronic scan of the iris of the eye.

These details - along with a photograph, signature, date of birth, address
and nationality - will also be stored on the central register.

Officials will be able to compare data on the card with the register,
theoretically making them impossible to fake.

 

 
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R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'