Civil liberties - new material; ID cards.
01 March 2003
Liberty & Charter 88 2003. This pamphlet developed out of a public meeting, jointly organised by Liberty, Privacy International and the Foundation for Information Policy Research, in central London in December 2002. While the Labour Party claims to have retreated from its post-11 September plans to introduce a national identity card, it has merely dabbled with the terminology, now advocating a "universal entitlement card". Everyone will have to register and produce the card to prove their entitlement to services that they have already paid for through taxes. The government argues that the card will - at a stroke - tackle all manner of problems, but in reality it will increase government departments' access to private information and contribute to burgeoning identity fraud. In April Home Secretary, David Blunkett, suggested that the public would be prepared to pay £25 each for the privilege of possessing one. This volume includes some diverse political contributions, ranging from Peter Lilly (Conservative) to Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat), all of whom are united in their opposition to the introduction of identity cards. Available on the Liberty website: www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk