Criticising this BBC report, not sender of the link ...

The debate about cost is a divertion, as are any of the justifications about crime, terrorism, immigration - whatever their arguments, it doesn't matter. The scheme is being introduced to give power to government and corporate interests who will gain so much from their ability to track us ALL (unless you are rich or famous enough to opt out on security or privacy grounds), and not some 'other' they want us to be fearful of.

And we don't need the Conservatives to tell us that the reasons for the scheme are foundless. The same was said about their attempt to introduce an ID scheme in 1995/6. As quoted in Schnews, Liberty said at the time: "They are not backed up by research or evidence from other countries, but are myths masquerading as arguments." Unfortunately Liberty have moved their argument to saying Labour's ID cards "won't work" which is not the same as saying these issues are completely bogus. Not much has changed apart from Labour have added Terrorism to the list, and the Tories are now pretending they are opposed to ID on principle (pull the other one).

In short, if it cost 10p would you want it? If the answer is no, arguments about cost are irrelevant. Alternative? Sack Parliament permanently!

Sources:

26th May 1995 | Issue 24 - Justice? Brighton's
Campaign In Defiance of the Criminal Justice Act
ID CRISIS, ID CARDS -THE COP IN YOUR POCKET
 http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news24.htm

Schnews, 23 August 1996.
WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IT’S YER SPITTING MAD… SchNEWS 87
* ID CARDS: THE NEW POLICE STATE
 http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news87.htm

STEALING OUR FREEDOM AND IDENTITY, Northern Resistance bulletin, Sept 2006
 http://flag.blackened.net/af/res/resist2006conwar.html

Since it is such an issue of national importance that it cannot be left to private industry to provide. One wrong outsourcing could lead to the collective identity of this Sceptred Isle being held hostage by The Ruritainian Mafia. Seriously: if it is to provide security it cannot be put out to tender. The data should not be available to anybody who does not have an official government appointment. Your Identity should at least be protected by the Official Secrets Act - if it is good enough for National Security it is good enough for your security. Allowing Private industry to have any access to the database behind the card will simply remove any security from the system. Every test of your identity should be accommpanied by a test of their Identity - after all it is too important to allow anybody to obtain the use of your identity without a genuine need to know. Imagine the police being asked to prove their identity every time they issue a fixed penalty. Well that is the price of Freedom. That is the price the State should be prepared to pay in order to protect Our Freedom. Anybody seeking to take money from you for the government (VAT and Income Tax) should prove their identity to prevent carousel fraud and money laundering. The Identity proof system should match up the identity of every single person who asks you to prove your identity. That way we can know if police are racist or Jobcentre clerks are bullying people or if that man who want you to give him seventeen and a half percent for his services is a criminal. When the state is prepared to prove the identity of each and every functionary then they can start to ask if the electorate might like to join in. Until then they can fuck right off.

Good point about the bogus 'immigration control' use for ID cards - asylum seekers already have a Home Office card which involves getting fingerprinted and photographed. They are already criminalised by the state.

But what does Liberty think is the reason for the scheme, if the justifications fed-to-media are all bullshit? Just PR to get votes from the more right-wing constituents, or something else?

Oh how grateful am I that these three libertarians are willing to stand outside parliament.

Emm let me think; did they get there by first class rail paid for by the tax payer?
Are they getting paid for doing this great thing for me/

Of course they would say that they are changing the system from within, but whilst they are part of the oppressive system then they are oppressors