South London Labour and Tory Councillors Unite to Back 'Big Brother' Scheme

1.26.44pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 31st Jan 2005

South London Labour and Conservative councillors have teamed up to defeat a Liberal Democrat motion condemning the government's proposed National Identity scheme.

The Lib Dem motion, which denounced the new scheme as an expensive 'big brother measure' with no singular clear purpose, was defeated by one vote at Southwark Town Hall last night (Wednesday 26 Jan).

Labour and Conservative groups voted together to block a call asking local MPs to oppose the new oppressive scheme.

Cllr Graham Neale, who proposed the motion, said:

"National ID cards pose a real threat to our liberty in this country and this latest vote highlights that this threat isn't being taken seriously.

"Labour councillors were comparing the scheme to supermarket club cards! There is a world of difference between club cards and the Government's National Identity Scheme. It is this ignorance that the Government is counting on to get the scheme introduced.

"Local people need to be aware of the dangers and we need to let the government know how we feel, and how out of touch they are."

ENDS

Note to Editors:

The text of the defeated motion is below:

Council notes and congratulates members of all political parties who opposed ID cards during the recent commons vote.

Council further notes that:

· The scheme is proposed to carry a price tag of £3 billion pounds and that the cards will cost the public £85.

· The government's track record with major technology and computer projects has been a series of horror stories.

· The public are perfectly able to identify themselves through a variety of ways already should they need to do so.

· Benefit fraud is primarily caused by false claims on personal circumstances rather than false identity.

· ID cards do not prevent crime and terrorism; good policing prevents crime.

· There is no clear singular purpose for these cards.

Council therefore believes that this legislation is simply a big brother measure, the stated aims of which are simply retrospective justifications. Furthermore the amount of information to be centrally stored for these cards goes beyond that required for the stated aims, thus increasing the potential for function creep and abuse in the future.

Council further believes the claim that the cards will be unforgeable is preposterous and instead will add yet another industry to a black market where criminal and terrorist gangs can thrive.

Council believes that this scheme, far from addressing benefit fraud and terrorism will instead steal valuable resources and vandalise hard won human rights and civil liberties.

Council therefore urges all the borough's MPs to oppose this bill at the next reading.