Sunday, October 12, 2008
Searching for an identity
Sometimes being a liberal can be a lonely place and no more so when pushing one's principles forward in the face of apparently unmoving public opinion. I was heartened therefore to see this small grassroots revolt growing up amongst groups chosen as guinea pigs to trial ID cards.
According to the Observer, plans to build support for identity cards by introducing them among 'guinea pig' groups, such as airport staff and students, are in crisis after 10,000 airline pilots vowed to take legal action to block them and opposition swept through Britain's universities and councils.
Balpa, which represents more than 10,000 pilots working on 28 airlines, insists that ID cards will 'do nothing' to enhance airport or flight security, and it fears that information about its members stored on a National Identity Register could be abused.
Perhaps they are thinking about the admission by former Home Office Minister, Tony McNulty that the government has been guilty of "overselling" the case for a compulsory national identity card scheme in Britain. He conceded that it will not prove a panacea for fraud, terrorism or the abuse of public services.
According to the Observer, plans to build support for identity cards by introducing them among 'guinea pig' groups, such as airport staff and students, are in crisis after 10,000 airline pilots vowed to take legal action to block them and opposition swept through Britain's universities and councils.
Balpa, which represents more than 10,000 pilots working on 28 airlines, insists that ID cards will 'do nothing' to enhance airport or flight security, and it fears that information about its members stored on a National Identity Register could be abused.
Perhaps they are thinking about the admission by former Home Office Minister, Tony McNulty that the government has been guilty of "overselling" the case for a compulsory national identity card scheme in Britain. He conceded that it will not prove a panacea for fraud, terrorism or the abuse of public services.
Labels: ID
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Peter, it's been clear for a while now that no-one can trust the government to collect and store safely personal data.
Given that they've now used anti-terror legislation to freeze icelandic assets in the UK because of, err, well, not a terrorist threat actually but because some of our public sector institutions had invested in some of their banks which had started to fail ... how on earth can we trust them to put the cards only to the uses which they say they're for now either?
Given that they've now used anti-terror legislation to freeze icelandic assets in the UK because of, err, well, not a terrorist threat actually but because some of our public sector institutions had invested in some of their banks which had started to fail ... how on earth can we trust them to put the cards only to the uses which they say they're for now either?
# posted by 
: 11:51 AM
: 11:51 AM
"Balpa.....and it fears that information about its members stored on a National Identity Register could be abused"
Or Lost! Very likely to be lost!.....well likely to end up on ebay!
Or Lost! Very likely to be lost!.....well likely to end up on ebay!
# posted by : 2:55 PM
: 2:55 PM
Sadly the first group that the labour government has chosen as guinea pigs to trial ID cards are non-EU students and spouses, people with a good reason not to make a fuss about it.
It falls on the anti-ID card lobby to show solidarity with these migrants if the governments' ID card plans are to be scuppered. These ID cards come into effect from 25th November.
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It falls on the anti-ID card lobby to show solidarity with these migrants if the governments' ID card plans are to be scuppered. These ID cards come into effect from 25th November.
# posted by : 5:48 PM
: 5:48 PM<< Home
