Local Member of Parliament supports launch of Stop ID Cards website.

11.40.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Oct 2005

"Can I see your ID card sir? You look like that bloke the Prime Minister..."

Solihull Member of Parliament Lorely Burt today highlighted the launch of the Lib Dems "Stop ID cards" website at www.libdems.org.uk/noidcards

Lorely said: "Introducing the ID card scheme is likely to cost each taxpayer £200. On top of that, we will then be charged £90 to obtain one of the new combined ID cards and passports. These are only the current projections - we all know how costs can rise on big government projects"

"The money proposed for this costly and ineffective scheme could be put to better use by putting more bobbies on the beat and improving our intelligence services. This would be more effective in preventing terrorism and help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour locally" she added.

"The Government have also failed to answer how the tens of thousands of people for whom this biometric technology will not work will be catered for. If you have brown eyes, are disabled, change your appearance or just get older you run the risk of falling foul of the system.' she added.

"I'm therefore calling on everyone to sign the petition at www.libdems.org.uk/noidcards" added Lorely. "The ID cards bill received its third reading in Parliament this week. Despite opposition from left, right, and centre, the Government seems intent to plough on regardless."

The website included the following observation from the human rights group Liberty who said: "Despite not appearing to be compulsory, the Secretary of State can require some types of people to register, by 'proscribing' a group. This is likely to apply to foreign nationals at first but will eventually apply to the entire population."

Although Australia and the USA both have ID cards, identity theft is far more problematic there than in Britain, because they rely on a single form of ID. Meanwhile, ID cards have been used in Spain for a number of years, but failed to stop the Madrid bombing atrocities.