Jacqui Smith (does she think that spelling her name that way makes her sound exotic?) has resurfaced with a timetable for ID cards.
On the radio this morning she was claiming that ID cards would make our identities more secure, so they are really for our benefit. Tell that to the millions of people who have had their personal data lost by various government departments.
As with every other issue, the government is reneging on previous promises about ID cards being voluntary too. Workers in 'high risk' areas will have to have them from next year but what is meant by 'high risk'? At the moment the government cites airport workers. But what about police and other emergency service workers? Civil servants? Bank staff who could open accounts and launder money for Osama bin Laden? People who work on ferries and at ports? People who work at oil refineries? Pretty soon a sizeable chunk of the population could be exempted from the promised voluntary nature of the scheme proposed by the government.
Then what about people visiting a government building, especially the House of Commons? People using airports? People using banks? Will they be told they can't without an ID card? But of course they can if they get one voluntarily!
From 2011 anyone applying for a passport will have to also apply for an ID card. From 2010 students and young people will be 'encouraged' to have an ID card.
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