In a display of simply breathtaking arrogance, the government has announced that, despite failing to gain Parliamentary approval for the Identity Cards Bill, it will build a national database of biometric fingerprint records anyway.
Citing royal prerogative powers in the issue of UK passports, the government has neatly circumvented the requirement to pass primary legislation through the two Houses, instead using traditional powers of the monarch that now default to the Prime Minster.
Passport applications and renewals will require a visit to one of 70 new passport enrolment offices that will appear across the country, where the interview will include a compulsory fingerprint and facial characteristic biometric. Police will have powers to search against this database – of course, even if you don’t carry your passport with you, few people leave home without their fingers.
With around 5 million people a year applying for new passports or renewals, it will only be a matter of time before an ID cards database in all but name is complete. Continued government claims that the UK "has its hands tied" by European laws and must introduce fingerprint biometrics on passports are baseless, but with 80 per cent of the UK population holding a passport, tying compulsory fingerprinting to their issue would make it difficult for citizens to refuse.
By using royal prerogative powers and without the chance for Parliamentary debate or recourse, the government has effectively ripped up the nearest the UK has to a constitutional rulebook – long established customs and practices – as also demonstrated by the announcement of the first 18 month Parliamentary session. The actions of the most autocratic government in recent history are making a fine argument for constitutional reform.
NO2ID National Coordinator, Phil Booth, said:
"Having failed to gain Parliamentary approval, the government is to get its database anyway. This now looks like not just an attack on personal liberty and privacy, but on democracy as well. Does the Home Office think itself above Parliament?
"Those behind this scheme want a profound change in our way of life, but cannot win the argument. They have ignored serious critics, and tried only to distract the British public from the real cost. The Government has no solid reasons for going ahead, but accelerates the programme when it thinks the public aren’t looking. Just why do they want this so badly?"
Original story in the Guardian, and you can leave your comment on our newsblog.
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