I D Cards again

[numbersix]

The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, yesterday gave a broad indication that millions of public-sector teachers, nurses and care staff in "positions of trust" are to be given a fast-track incentive to sign up early for an ID card to get the "critical mass" she needs for the controversial scheme.
She promised to speed up the introduction of the scheme by allowing people to get a card without waiting to renew their passport, enabling its full introduction by 2017, two years ahead of previous plans.

The revised timetable confirms that groups are being targeted for early registration on the national identity database - the key part of the scheme - to secure its popular acceptance.

Young people who registered for an ID card would find it easier to enrol on a course, apply for a student loan or open a bank account. The home secretary acknowledged that the ID cards debate evoked strong feelings but said that rather than thinking of the state as an opponent of civil liberties, its role was to "defend our interests, to offer reassurance and trust, and to work in the most effective way possible to ease and to enable our lives".

But the shadow home secretary, David Davis, said that the ID card scheme was now being implemented by spin and stealth. "The home secretary's claim that she is offering people a choice is misleading - identity cards will still be compulsory. The government has lost the argument. They have lost 25m personal records. And they have lost the public's trust. It's time they faced up to these stark truths - and ditched ID cards for good."

Phil Booth, of the No2ID campaign, said it was a marketing exercise: "Whether you volunteer or are coerced on to the ID database, there's no way back. You'll be monitored for life. That's why the government is targeting students and young people, to get them on before they realise what's happening."

This is not just about some ID card. This is about creeping invasiveness of the state into an individuals business.

Everyone must write to their MP to protest, register with the online petition No2id- http://www.no2id.net, and finally kick out Gordon Brown at the earliest opportunity - even if the conservatives are only slightly the lesser of the two evils they have at least promised to scrap ID cards.

[snakebite_sam]

We'll here more and more about these ID cards as the Government are hell-bent on forcing them on the people of this country (All for our own good of course!)

[hagbard_celine]

If the govt want to implement a policy that the public supports they’ll say they’re doing their duty by bowing to the will of the people. If they want to introduce a policy that the public does not support they will say “Fuck the will of the people!” and implement it behind our backs by skullduggery and manipulation. I can't think of a better example of the latter than the ID cards agenda.

They're picking us off one group at a time. they're getting airport staff and healthcare wokers (like me!:eek:) to have them first, so they can introduce the infrastructure until making everyone have one is just a case of mopping up the remenents. they'll say it's for "security" "health and safety" or "practical and convenience" reasons. We need to get wise!:cool:

[hagbard_celine]

Erm... what was I saying!?:eek::D:cool::)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/12/idcards

Go guinea pigs!

[rhydra]

It's nothing about terrorism, they are the terrorists, wanting to control and manipulate the population. The cards will end up being made compulsory, essential for the most basic things like buying groceries and paying bills. That is when they can use their sanction for minor transgression, withdraw the card. Don't allow yourself to be put over that barrel, reject, reject, reject.

[armoured_amazon]

I'm always reading about individuals taking companies/schools/workplaces to court over religious beliefs. What's the actual term for it? I'm going with that.

:D

[keithm]

Pilots ready to seek legal action over ID cards
Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

The British Airline Pilots Association union has warned it may seek a judicial review of the government’s ID cards scheme to prevent pilots being forced to carry identity cards.

By Natasha Lomas | As part of a phased introduction of ID cards, the government has stipulated that people working in certain ’sensitive areas’ such as airports will be required to hold an identity card from mid-2009. Foreign nationals will also have to carry the cards, with theirs set to be issued from next month.

A spokesman for the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), which represents more than 10,000 airline pilots — some 90 percent of the UK workforce — said: “The possibility of [seeking] a judicial review is very high on the agenda.”

“[The review] would be on the basis that we are told repeatedly by ministers that the ID card scheme is voluntary but how can it be voluntary if we stand the prospect of losing our jobs?” he said.

The Balpa spokesman said pilots are of the view that security at airports can be tightened by implementing a national airport pass scheme, rather than by forcing them to carry ID cards. “We’ve been on at the government for a long time to standardise and have a national airport pass which in fact would do the trick but the government’s refusing to go down that line,” he said. “They say it’s up to individual airport owners.

“[But] you don’t have to go through the ID card route… It’s a false premise. Security can be tightened in other ways.”

Balpa’s national executive has already had several meetings with the government to voice its objections to ID cards, and further talks have been offered, according to the spokesman, which the union intends to take up.

However, he added: “Ministers tell us, ‘well, it’s going to happen anyway’.”

Additional primary legislation would be required for ID cards to become compulsory for every UK citizen or resident and, according to the government, there is no timetable for its introduction.

[hagbard_celine]

Bump.

This has become topical again.

[armoured_amazon]

Indeed!

Pilots may bring legal challenge against ID card plan
Nick Heath silicon.com

Published: 17 Feb 2009 08:39 GMT

The government's ID card project ran into more trouble today, as the scheme was snubbed by airline pilots and the Scottish government.

Lawyers for the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) said they are examining whether there are legal grounds to challenge Home Office plans to force pilots to take up the cards from autumn this year.

Pilots are willing to lose their jobs rather than accept an ID card, Balpa told the Home Office in response to consultation over the introduction of the cards, that finished on Friday, 13 February.

The consultation is on the Identity Cards Act Secondary Legislation that will need to be approved by parliament before ID cards can be issued to airside workers and pilots.

It comes as the Scottish government supported calls for the government to cancel the UK rollout of the £4.7bn scheme, adding that they present an "unacceptable threat to citizens' privacy and civil liberties".

Scottish minister for community safety, Fergus Ewing, said in a statement: "In the midst of a deep recession, with more job losses announced nearly every day, it simply beggars belief that the UK government is pressing ahead with its costly National Identity Scheme."

Balpa believes it may be able to mount the legal challenge on the grounds that the Identity Cards Act 2006 indicated that the take-up of ID cards would be voluntary for UK citizens.

A spokesman for Balpa told ZDNet UK's sister site, silicon.com: "There is a strong feeling that ID cards do nothing to increase security and that [pilots] are not going to be used as guinea pigs in this way."

The spokesman said: "We have our lawyers looking at whether we could mount a legal challenge on the basis that ID cards were introduced on the basis they would be voluntary. This is not the case if you have to take an ID card or lose your job."

In its submission to the Home Office, Balpa said that forcing pilots to have ID cards "is an affront to the people who for years have been, and continue to be at the forefront in the battle against terrorist outrages".

Silicon.com recently revealed that there are no readers in the UK capable of processing the fingerprint and photo stored electronically on the card.

An Identity and Passport Service spokesman said in a statement: "Balpa have come to us with their concerns and we have spoken to them a number of times about how we can work with industry to resolve these.

"Identity cards will directly benefit airside workers — not just by improving personnel security but also by speeding up pre-employment checks and increasing the efficiency of pass-issuing arrangements, making it easier for these workers to take up their posts and move from one airside job to another."

"Identity cards will be mandatory for all airside workers, just as other pre-employment checks are today, so that the benefits from the scheme can be realised across the aviation sector."

Credit: Pilots want to put the brakes on ID card plan from silicon.com
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39616130,00.htm