We’re not fooled by Johnson’s ID pledge—it’s business as usual

Dear Ed,

WE HAVE not fooled by Home Office Minister Alan Johnson’s announcement last week that ID cards would not be compulsory. It is still very much business as usual.’

To prove it, there are three ID-related Statutory Instruments being voted on in the Commons on Wednesday this week (July 8) to ensure, bit by bit, life in London without an expensive, intrusive and unsafe ID card would be impossible.

The Provision of Information without Consent’ regulation would give powers to the Identity and Passport Service to pass information it holds on you to a host of other agencies without your knowledge or consent.

This information would include official document numbers and personal details like your name, addresses and signature (more than enough for massive identity fraud), as well as your fingerprints.

Such data would be available to the police, intelligence services, taxman or any local council bod pre-disposed to having a snoop, or to anyone else they authorise, including details of every time you had had your ID checked, such as registering with a GP, opening a bank account or travelling abroad.

Your medical and financial dealings will be conveniently tagged and indexed for further snooping by everyone from the local librarian to the binmen!

Records of what information has been given to whom and why, may be destroyed after 12 months or less. They would track you for life, but prefer to leave no trail of their tracking activities.

Blocking these three Statutory Instruments would stall the ID scheme and be an opportunity for ID opponents to show how committed they are to killing it off completely.

It is important that as many MPs of all parties as possible vote against these Statutory Instruments on Wednesday.

Robin Tudge

NO2ID campaign, Deptford, South-East London