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NO2ID Newsletter 124

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:01 GMT

+ POLITICS MAY BE PARALYSED - BUT POLICY GOES ON +

In some newspaper reports of the resignation of Jacqui Smith it has been suggested that it makes a difference to the ID scheme of which she was a "strong supporter". NO2ID doubts that. Ms Smith is the fourth Home Secretary and one of a dozen Home Office ministers we have dealt with, all of whom have pursued the same policy using (allowing for a few changes in spin and timetabling) virtually the same words. The ID scheme is a government policy. It was for decades before that a Home Office ambition. Peter Lilley MP, who was a cabinet minister under both Mrs Thatcher and Mr Major, recalls it being offered "as the remedy for all our ills from crime to shortage of kidney donors".

Now there are two highly paid groups of civil servants in Whitehall, the executives of the Identity and Passport Service, and the Transformational Government team in the Cabinet Office, whose work is built around the implementation and expansion of what they are now promoting as the "National Identity Service". They are the ones writing the cue cards for ministers making speeches on the scheme. It is not going away simply because a new minister is not an enthusiast. The same is true of all the other database-state projects being nurtured by various departments.

What *will* make a difference is a clear change in government policy. Opposition parties are promising that, and a new Labour leader could choose to change direction where Gordon Brown failed. Real policy change requires continuing political pressure from the public. NO2ID will be keeping up that pressure.

Please help us by ensuring everyone you know is aware that the threat has not gone away just because the newspapers have temporarily forgotten it.

What just happened?

+ German privacy video looks at retention of communications data +

German film maker Alexander Lehmann has released a video on YouTube entitled 'You are a terrorist' which highlights the controversial issue of communications data retention across Europe. The video states: "there are more than 82 million terrorists hiding in Germany. You are one of them! For the last 6 months all of your activities have been monitored, for instance: who you call and when, when you use your mobile and where, when and where you access the internet and what sites you are visiting". In the UK the retention of communications data such as emails was snuck through as secondary legislation (The Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009) in April.
Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=570WQqye8_Q

+ ID Cards secondary legislation consultation response +

The Home Office has published a response to its consultation on the Identity Cards Act secondary legislation (the detailed regulations which will implement the act). The document states: "This was the latest step in a number of public consultations relating to identity cards where there has been consultation on different aspects of the national identity scheme � now being referred to as the National Identity Service". There were 169 responses to the consultation "including 127 from members of the public and 42 from various organisations". The response overplays what information will go on the actual card, stating: "Respondents were generally content with the information that was proposed to be included on the card with some acceptance of the choice of using the familiar passport standards". What is doesn't dicuss is the large amount of information that will be stored in the database behind the cards.
See http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/DocC_%20ID_act_secondary_legislation_response.pdf

+ Southampton Students oppose ID scheme +

An anti-ID card motion has been passed by Southampton University Students� Union Council and was approved by 87% of representatives. The resolution means the Students� Union opposes in principle the National Identity Scheme and will not co-operate with it unless required to do so by law. It also mandates that the Union President (who represents approximately 25,000 students) should write to the Home Secretary declaring their opposition. The motion points out: "That the National Identity Scheme will make students liable to pay fines of between £1,000 and £2,500 if they do not adhere to the Scheme�s conditions. (For example, if they do not inform the Government when they move house.)"

+ Lords warn of trouble ahead over DNA database plans +

On Wednesday (3rd June) the House of Lords had a 2nd Reading debate for the Policing and Crime Bill during which the government's plans to retain the DNA of innocent people was discussed. The government has put an enabling power in the bill to make regulations for the retention and destruction of DNA. This would mean that new guidelines would be passed without proper parliamentary debate. Baroness Harris of Richmond said: "These matters should not be dealt with by secondary legislation, especially as the DNA profiles of people not convicted of any offence could be held for up to 12 years. It is imperative that Parliament scrutinises this scheme and ensures that, if amendments need to be made, they will be. That is impossible under this proposal, which should be removed from the Bill".
Read a transcript of the debate at http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2009-06-03a.219.11

What's next?

+ 18th June - NO2ID London Activists Meeting +
Thursday, 18th June from 7pm at 29A Chamberlain House, Phoenix Road, London NW1 1EU (Entrance on Ossulston Street). NO2ID is launching a London-wide activist group to help raise the profile of NO2ID at London events and recruit members to the campaign beyond our usual circles. These events will take the form of quarterly meetings, training sessions and an emailing list. Our first gathering will be a showing of the film �Taking Liberties� followed by a talk and a call to action from Phil Booth, NO2ID�s National Coordinator and DATES FOR ACTION. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come along.

The group will be run through the id-action mailing list - join the list to be kept up to date on the London NO2ID activist group and opportunities to get involved: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/id-action

+ Volunteers needed for Mark Thomas gigs +

Mark Thomas has invited NO2ID to help at some of his shows this year. NO2ID needs volunteers to help out as Mark tours around the country - we still need volunteers for the following gigs: Wellingborough 9th June, Barnstable 12th June, Bridport 18th June, Stockton on Tees 23rd June, Lincoln 24th June, Bath 25th June - email Matty on local.groups@no2id.net if you can help.
For details of gigs see http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_gigs/

+ Communications Data consultation +
The Home Office has launched a consultation on proposals for the so-called Intercept Modernisation Programme whereby the government wants internet service providers and telecommunications companies data to store details of all UK emails, phone calls and web activity so that public authorities can get hold of that information when they want it. The consultation ends on 20 July 2009.
Full details and how to respond at http://www.tellthemwhatyouthink.org/consultation/con-2217-protecting-public-changing-environment

+ DNA Database consultation +
The government has launched a consultation 'Keeping the right people on the DNA database'. The consultation closes on 7th August - responses can be emailed to (DNAconsultation@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk). For details of the consultation and links to the relevant consultation documents see http://www.tellthemwhatyouthink.org/consultation/con-2255-keeping-right-people-dna-database

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

To see if there's a group in your area check our list at http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/
Or, if you're interested in starting a group yourself, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net to discuss what's involved and what we have in place to support coordinators and their groups.

+ Alexandra Palace +

+ 17th June - Alexandra Palace NO2ID 1st Meeting +
Wednesday, 17 June at 8.15pm at The Gate pub on Station Road, N22 7SS. Directions: The Gate is opposite Alexandra Palace station (overground line) and a short walk from Wood Green tube station (Picadillly Line). The W3 stops outside.(map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=530331&y=190498&z=0&ar=Y). Everyone is welcome, newcomer or not, curious or committed. Please bring a friend. For more information contact alexandra.palace@no2id.net

If you are interested in the work of the Alexandra Palace group or are planning on attending the meeting please join the mailng list on: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.alexandra-palace

+ Birmingham +

+ 30th June - Birmingham NO2ID Meeting (last Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 30th June 7.30pm in the boardroom in Bennett's Bar, Bennett's Hill, B2 5RS. NO2ID Birmingham holds regular monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of the month. This month's meeting will be looking into the European elections.

+ Cambridge +

On 1st June Cambridge NO2ID collaborated with the local branches of Oxfam and Amnesty International to organise a Euro-election husting. The five candidates on the panel (from the Liberal Democrat, UK Independence, Labour, Green and Conservative parties) answered questions on a broad range of issues from global warming to Palestine. Although ID cards are not being forced upon us via the EU, another aspect of the "Database State" is - former Home Secretary Charles Clarke helped push the European Data Retention Directive through the EU Parliament as a way of extending data retention powers in the UK without having them debated at Westminster. This directive forces all telephone and internet companies to store details of every email, phone call and text message sent or received for a full year. Cambridge NO2ID submitted a question on this, and in response all the parties except Labour expressed a desire to roll back the Database State. Even Labour's representative, the party's lead candidate in the Eastern region, said that he was willing to talk to NO2ID in future. If he's elected, we plan to take him up on this offer

+ 6th June - NO2ID Stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair +
Volunteers needed to man the stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair for 2 hour shifts from 10am until 6pm: please contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew Watson on 07710 469624. We signed up 500 supporters last year - we'd like to improve on that number this year. (Strawberry Fair info: http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk)

+ 20th June - Cambridge NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 20th June in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall (http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/T5LZATLS) from 10 am. Please contact Andrew on 07710 469624 if you'd like to help.

+ Camden and Islington +

Camden & Islington NO2ID meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 8pm at The The Kings Head, 59 Essex Road, Islington, N1 2SF. For more info email camden@no2id.net or join the mailing list at: (http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.camden).

+ Chelmsford and Mid Essex +

+ 27th June - Chelmsford and Mid Essex NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 27th June in the morning in central Chelmsford - we are organising an important stall. Offers of help are appreciated from anyone in Essex. For more information, please contact Felicity direct on londaf1@aol.com

+ Cheltenham +

+ 6th June - Cheltenham NO2ID leafletting (Every other Saturday) +
Saturday, 6th June from 11am 'til 1pm, meet by the Hare on the Prom.

+ 25th June - Cheltenham NO2ID Meeting (last Thursday of each month) +
Thursday, 25th June 7.30pm at The Swan, 37 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1DX. All welcome.

If you can make either or both regular slots, it'd be good to see you. If you cannot but would like to be involved in other ways, please either email cheltenham@no2id.net or phone 07802 151464

+ Daventry +

+ 6th June - Daventry NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 6th June in Daventry High Street. For more details contact daventry@no2id.net

+ 10th June - Daventry NO2ID Meeting (2nd Weds of month) +
Wednesday, 10th June 8pm at the Dun Cow, Brook St, Daventry

+ Dorking +

We get together every first Tuesday of the month at the Lincoln Arms, near Dorking mainline station at 7.30pm. On the agenda this month and next will be new street stalls and a discussion on the public meeting in Ewell 9th September. On the panel will be Justice Minister Michael Wills, Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, Phil Booth plus a LibDem and possible one other. Don�t miss it.

+ Dover +

+ 13th June - Dover NO2ID Street Stall, Folkestone +
Saturday, 13th June from 10am (weather permitting) probably for around 3 hours (give or take one). Location: Sandgate Road pedestrian precinct, by the junction with Westcliff Gardens. In the event that weather does not permit (rain/high winds) we would attempt to go to the following Saturday � 20th June. We have some little enhancements to the stall. All help appreciated. Contact Ian Taylor on (dover@no2id.net). We'd really appreciate some help at 10am as car needs unloading before being taken somewhere legal to park.

+ Edinburgh +

+ 30th June - NO2ID Edinburgh Meeting +
Tuesday 30th June at 7.00pm at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL. Members evening: short talks on why many IT professionals are against ID cards, and a brief history of ID cards. Also members' demonstration of robotic street theatre and the premiere of a new ID campaign film. More details at (http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/future_meetings.html). All welcome.

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

+ Epsom +

If you want to get in touch, why not come along to the Dorking Group get togethers every first Tuesday of the month at the Lincoln Arms, near Dorking mainline station at 7.30pm. On the agenda this month will be new street stalls and a discussion on the public meeting in Ewell 9th September. On the panel will be Justice Minister Michael Wills, Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling, Phil Booth plus a LibDem and possible one other. Don�t miss it.

If anyone wants to get involved in the Epsom area, please email or phone NO2ID South East Regional Coordinator Geoff Cox on south.east@no2id.net or call 01306 631377.

+ Glasgow +

Glasgow NO2ID meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 8pm in Mono. All welcome. Please contact Geraint for further details: glasgow@no2id.net

+ Great Missenden +

+ 6th June - Great Missenden NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 6th June from 10.00 am until 3.00 pm at Chesham market. Please encourage anyone you know to come along. We are hoping to get some local councillors to come and pledge their support.

+ Hammersmith & Fulham +

Please keep diaries free for a talk exposing 'The Surveillance Society' evening of Wednesday, 22nd July. More info shortly.

+ 13th June - Hammersmith & Fulham NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 13th June, 11.00-12.00 (min.). Stall with petitions, leaflets and artwork. 5 mins from Chiswick Park tube. Look for us near the Starbuck's coffee shop, 376 Chiswick High Rd, W4 5TF - map ref: (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=520512&y=178524&z=0&sv=w4+5tf&st=2&pc=w4+5t f&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf). Help from any supporters in West London welcomed. More information from Brian, 07976-414913.

+ Hebden Bridge +

+ 25th June - Hebden Bridge NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday 25th June 7.30pm at the Fox and Goose. Please email hebden.bridge@no2id.net for further information.

+ Ipswich +

Calling Ipswich supporters
On 30th May Cambridge and Norwich NO2ID groups joined forces to run a very successful street stall in Ipswich town centre, garnering over 130 new NO2ID supporters. We'd like to build on this success to re-establish an Ipswich local group. If you live near Ipswich and would be interested in participating in a local group there, please contact Andrew Watson (andrew.watson@no2id.net) or Matty Mitford (local.groups@no2id.net).

+ Kensington and Chelsea +

Kensington and Chelsea no2id will hold a number of stalls this summer:-

+ 13th June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, The British Constitution Group Conference +
Saturday 13th June at The British Constitution Group Conference at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

+ 20th June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Daily Worker Conference +
Saturday, 20th June 09:30-16:30 at TUC Conference Hall, Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

+ 21st June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Earl's Court Street Fair +
Sunday, 21st June Earls Court Street Fair

(Unfortunately our most recent Sunday in Portobello Stall was not very successful. We are going to try a Friday in July.)

All offers of help will be gratefully received for Earl's Ct and Portobello and you can get our mugs without having to the pay fiendish P&P.

+ Kingston-Upon-Thames +

If you are interested in the work of the Kingston group please join the Kingston-Upon-Thames mailing list here: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.kingston-upon-thames

+ Leicester +

Update on the Mark Thomas gig: we handed out several dozen leaflets and collected several signatures for our petition so thanks to Jackie and Josh for their help.

+ Manchester +

+ 13th June - Manchester NO2ID Street Stall +
13th June, 2-4pm in St. Ann's Square in Manchester City Centre (down near the big Marks and Spencer), to raise awareness among the public and engage people in discussion about the National Identity Register. We'll be collecting signatures for the NO2ID petition to keep people in touch with the campaign. We'll meet in the square itself at 2pm to set up shop; feel free to join us to lend a hand or just chat. You don't need any experience or equipment, just a bit of time to spare and a friendly smile!

+ 17th June - Manchester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +
Wednesday, 17th June 2009 7pm-9pm in the Town Hall Tavern, Tib Lane, Manchester. Sadly, this venue is not wheelchair-accessible; please contact us on manchester@no2id.net if you have accessibility needs. We are always looking for volunteers to take and type up minutes from our meetings; it's an easy way to help the campaign! The Town Hall Tavern serves reasonably-priced, good quality food until 9pm so you don't need to pop home for tea - you can even order your meal brought up to the function room.
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/monthly-meeting-june-2009

+ Newport +

Newport NO2ID relaunched with a new Coordinator just a month ago and enquiries have been coming in steadily from across South Wales - from west of Cardiff up to Abergavenny and of course Newport itself (Wales has its own ideas about boundaries!). So far we've signed up 15 members, including 2 city council members. Several members have already swung into action as researchers and we've had some friendly interest in response to our initial approach to Welsh Assembly members - one of whom has asked to meet the coordinator of our group. We will be doing a small practice stall in the centre of Newport itself by the end of June, followed by one of the main community festivals of this region in July. Grenya our big fluffy red dragon will be sitting on our stall to encourage interest and comment.

+ 15th June - Newport NO2ID 1st Meeting +
Monday, 15th June, 7pm at House Morgain, Chelston Place, Newport NP20 5LX. Please do put this in your diary and come to meet me/ us. Coffee/ tea/ wine/ beer as you will. You can email Shan Morgain on newport@no2id.net or join the mailing list at (http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.newport).We have a packed agenda. First there is the all important stall planning, including a training event for members unused to doing stalls but interested in doing so. We will also be making plans for a campaign of letter writing to suitable media targets and we'll also be pooling a list of sites to place notices about NO2ID.

+ Norwich +

+ 13th June - Norwich NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 13th June 1pm-3pm at The Haymarket, Gentleman's Walk - so please come along to express your discontent at this expensive and intrusive scheme. It should hopefully be sunny and cheerful, but best bring a brolly and a smile in case! The database state won't just go away if you sit at home.

+ 16th June - Norwich NO2ID Group Meeting +
Tuesday, 16th June 7.30pm-9pm at The Workshop (opposite The Black Horse) on Earlham Road. It's a friendly atmosphere so drop in and join us to discuss how we can build support for the campaign and spread the word further.

+ 22nd June - Mark Thomas - It's The Stupid Economy Stall +
Monday 22nd June sees Mark Thomas bringing his political comedy to Norwich. He has helpfully agreed to let us put a stand up to inform people about the cause, starting 7pm-8pm and then after the show 10pm-11pm approx. For more information contact norwich@no2id.net

If you are interested in the work of the Norwich group, please join their mailing list on: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.norwich

+ Oxford +

+ 25th June - Oxford NO2ID Public Meeting +
Thursday, 25th June 8pm in the Sutro Room at Trinity College. This will feature a series of speakers discussing identity and privacy in the modern age. All welcome. Guests will include: * Robert Buckland (Tory candidate, Swindon South), * Steve Goddard (Lib Dem candidate, Oxford East), * Peter Hitchens (Columnist, Mail on Sunday), * Peter Tatchell (Human Rights Campaigner, Green candidate, Oxford East), * Glyn Wintle (Open Rights Group)

See the website for more: http://no2id-oxford.org.uk/

+ Sheffield +

+ 6th June - Sheffield NO2ID at Peace in the Park, Ponderosa +
Saturday, 6th June at the Ponderosa, Netherthorpe (see http://web.peaceinthepark.org.uk/)

+ 10th June - Sheffield NO2ID Meeting +
Wednesday, 10th June at 7.30pm at The Harlequin Pub, 108 Nursery St, Sheffield, S3 8GG (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=s3+8gg).

+ Shrewsbury +

+ 27th June - Shrewsbury NO2ID lunch club and street stall +
Saturday, 27th June - Come for lunch at Rococo in Butcher Row at 12.30pm (look for NO2ID fliers on the table), and then join us on the street stall in Pride Hill. If you let Rob Findlay know that you're coming (shrewsbury@no2id.net or 07973 848910) then we can grab enough table space for everybody.

+ Southampton +

Southampton NO2ID holds a regular monthly meeting and plotting session on the first Wednesday of the month at 8:00pm in the Dolphin Pub next to St Denys railway station

Southampton NO2ID Street Stalls
We are keen to move the stall to different locations in and around Southampton. If you would like to have a stall near you, then please get in touch with the group via southampton.no2id@gmail.com.

+ York +

+ 6th June - York NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 6th June 10.30 am in Parliament Street

"ID" in the news

+ Airport ID cards only for the newbies - The Register 4/6/09 +
The trial of ID cards for airside workers at City of London and Manchester airports will be a slightly slower process than we imagined. The cards will only be mandatory for new staff, not for all pilots and staff working at the airports. The Home Office reckon this was always the case and we remembered wrongly - we bow to their semantics and long memories.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/04/id_card_limits/

+ BMA leader calls for NPfIT to be scrapped - e-Health Insider 3/6/09 +
One of the leaders of the British Medical Association has described the NHS IT programme as "the worst case of planning blight across the NHS" and called for it to be ended.
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/4900/bma_leader_calls_for_npfit_to_be_scrapped

+ ID database snooped for celebrities' secrets - The Inquirer 3/6/09 +
The two Glasgow staff were caught snooping on people in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Customer Information Systems (CIS) database, which includes among its 85 million records the personal details about everyone in the UK, and which the Identity and Passport Service plans to use as the foundation of the national ID scheme.
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1184506/id-database-snooped-celebrities-secrets

+ Jacqui Smith departure causes speculation over ID cards - Computing 3/6/09 +
Westminster speculation has raised a new question mark over the future of the government's flagship identity card scheme, following news of the forthcoming departure of home secretary Jacqui Smith.
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2243417/jacqui-smith-departure-brings

+ U-turn on airport ID cards - Public Servant Daily 2/6/09 +
As part of the initial roll-out of ID cards, the government announced plans - called the critical worker identity card (CWIC) scheme - for all those in sensitive roles at airports to be issued with an identity card. But when Home Secretary Jacqui Smith officially launched an early-adopter scheme for the citizens of Manchester in May, a much smaller announcement was made changing the rules of the CWIC scheme.
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=9644

+ UK at Number 5 in global list of most repressive regimes - Telecom TV 2/6/09 +
A new report, from the Internet security company, Cryptohippie, puts the UK at Number Five in the list of the world's most repressive regimes in terms of the electronic surveillance of its citizens.
http://www.telecomtv.com/comspace_newsDetail.aspx?n=45031&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10

+ Camera grid to log number plates - BBC News Online 22/5/09 +
A national network of cameras and computers automatically logging car number plates will be in place within months, the BBC has learned. Thousands of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras are already operating on Britain's roads.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/whos_watching_you/8064333.stm

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) )

NO2ID Newsletter 123

Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:01 GMT

+ VOTE OF THANKS +

NO2ID has big tasks ahead, as you will see from reading this edition of the newsletter. But NO2ID only exists because of its supporters. �The most brilliantly organised campaign of recent times� (Henry Porter) could not be organised without all those people reading this who lend us a hand or a hand-out.

We don�t know everyone who is involved - there are loads of people running their own mini-NO2ID campaigns by wearing a badge or tee-shirt and talking to those who ask about it. But all are making a vital contribution to changing public opinion.

We don�t even know everyone who gives us money, the hundreds of people every month who make it possible for us to maintain the office, pay an office manager, support local groups, print the materials, and hold the briefings that inform the political and media arguments. There are regular standing orders and bank transfers that are untraceable, anonymous postal orders, and dozens and dozens of cheques.

We would like to thank you all individually, but we don�t even know who you are and would always respect your privacy anyway. Unlike the government we don�t �need to know who people are�. Most things can be done perfectly well anonymously. Thank you.

- Guy Herbert, General Secretary

+ NO2ID�s Company +
Since its hurried start in 2004 NO2ID has been an unincorporated association, a club, which has some disadvantages. The 2007 AGM approved the creation of a non-profit company also called NO2ID to carry on the campaign, a more common structure for a large campaigning organisation. This has now been done. The guarantors of the company are the advisory board elected at the 2008 AGM, and the directors are Phil Booth and Guy Herbert. The Association will continue in existence for the foreseeable future, and if you are a paid-up member of the Association, you will automatically become a Campaign Member recognised by the new NO2ID for as long as your Association membership lasts and it will soon become possible to become a Campaign Member directly. The principles remain the same, the personnel remain the same, but we will be fitter for the future.

What just happened?

+ Pilots to fight ID cards at Manchester Airport +

The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) has stepped up its campaign against the ID scheme and in particular its compulsory nature. Pilots and other airside workers at Manchester Airport will have to apply for the card - or lose their jobs. BALPA General Secretary Jim McAuslan said: "Parliament was told by the Government that the scheme would be voluntary. But pilots are told that if they have no ID card they will not be allowed airside and if they cannot get airside they cannot fly, and they lose their jobs. This is intolerable". BALPA say they will resist the scheme "with every lawful means at our disposal" including legal action, fighting it in Parliament and seeking the support of the travelling public. The government has said that all pilots and airside workers will be required to have ID cards and the next airport to be targeted will be London City Airport. In a recent survey of BALPA members for every pilot in favour of the national ID scheme there were six against.

+ National Identity Cards Scheme Draft Orders laid before Parliament +

Four new Statutory Instruments under the Identity Cards Act 2006 were published last week. Statutory Instruments provide the detailed regulations which implement Acts of Parliament. One of the orders relates to designated documents - when an individual applies for a designated document that individual must apply at the same time to be entered in the National Identity Register and apply for an ID card. The order seeks to make a criminal conviction certificate (issued as part of a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check) for those applying for an airside pass a designated document. This is the way in which the government will force airport staff on to the ID scheme. The other orders relate to fees, Information and Code of Practice on Penalties and Provision of Information without Consent. For more details see the report on SpyBlog at http://spyblog.org.uk/2009/05/national-identity-cards-scheme-creep---4-draft-orders-laid-before-parliament.html

+ Even UK security firm criticises Manchester ID scheme 'launch' +

UK security manufacturer TSSI has spoken out against the latest 'launch' of the government's ID scheme in Manchester - where residents over 16 with a UK passport will be able to apply for a card this autumn. John Barker, general manager of TSSI Systems Ltd said: "The scheme works on the assumption that people will apply on a voluntary basis although it is not entirely clear what the real benefits to members of the public are." On the issue of cost Barker added: "The estimated cost of the project to the Home Office is about £5bn, but Dr Whitley of the London School of Economics estimates that the last four years has already seen astronomical costs of between £10 and £20 billion. With spiraling costs it seems that the government has already bitten off more than it can chew." The government has tried to claim that much of the cost of the ID scheme is required to upgrade passports but as Dr Whitley recently told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "some of the costs that they have been claiming are required to satisfy international obligations for improving passports but they are not actually obligations on the UK government but rather they are political choices that have been made rather than international requirements".

+ The hidden costs of ID cards +

The government has claimed for some time that the price of an ID card will be £30. However the trial in Manchester reveals that the plastic card will cost £30 and biometric enrolment will cost another £30. Draft orders published under the ID card act now reveal that an ID card is £30 if the application accompanies an application to be entered in the National Identity Register, the database behind the scheme. But if they are not done together then the cost of an ID card is £30 and the cost of going on the database is yet another £30.

+ Photo ID to visit Orkney? +

One NO2ID supporter who recently travelled to Orkney by ferry was shocked when NorthLink Ferries said they require photo ID for all passengers over 16. When he wrote to Northlink they replied that it was because the ferry was going into international waters but one glance at the map showed this was rubbish. They then replied that it was for security and safety reasons. When travelling he asked again and they said it was because the vessel was over a certain size and EU regulations demanded it. Soon photo ID could be required for all such journeys - the government's CONTEST strategy lays out plans for "police powers to collect advance passenger data on some domestic air and sea journeys".

What's next?

+ Volunteers needed for Mark Thomas gigs +
Mark Thomas has invited NO2ID to help at some of his shows this year. NO2ID needs volunteers to help out as Mark tours around the country - we still need volunteers for the following gigs: Wellingborough 9th June, Barnstable 12th June, Bridport 18th June, Stockton on Tees 23rd June, Lincoln 24th June, Bath 25th June - email Matty on local.groups@no2id.net if you can help.
For details of gigs see http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_gigs/

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

To see if there's a group in your area check our list at http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/
Or, if you're interested in starting a group yourself, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net to discuss what's involved and what we have in place to support coordinators and their groups.

+ Alexandra Palace +

+ 17th June - Alexandra Palace NO2ID 1st Meeting +
Wednesday, 17 June at 8.15pm at The Gate pub on Station Road, N22 7SS. Directions: The Gate is opposite Alexandra Palace station (overground line) and a short walk from Wood Green tube station (Picadillly Line). The W3 stops outside.(map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=530331&y=190498&z=0&ar=Y). Everyone is welcome, newcomer or not, curious or committed. Please bring a friend. For more information contact alexandra.palace@no2id.net

If you are interested in the work of the Alexandra Palace group or are planning on attending the meeting please join the mailng list on: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.alexandra-palace

+ Birmingham +

+ 23rd May - Birmingham NO2ID Stall +
City centre stall - contact birmingham@no2id.net or 07734 087470 for details.

+ 26th May - Birmingham NO2ID Meeting (last Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 26th May 7.30pm in the boardroom in Bennett's Bar, Bennett's Hill, B2 5RS. NO2ID Birmingham holds regular monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of the month. This month's meeting will be looking into the European elections.

+ Cambridge +

30th May - NO2ID Stall in Ipswich
Saturday, 30th May - Cambridge NO2ID and Norwich NO2ID will be running a street stall in Ipswich as part of an effort to re-start the local group there. A car will be leaving Cambridge around 0900 to drive over with the stall equipment, and there'll be a couple of spare seats for any volunteers who want to come with us. NO2ID supporters in the Ipswich area are also very welcome to join us on the stall. Please contact Andrew on 07710 469624 for more details.

+ 1st June - Joint Amnesty/Oxfam/NO2ID European Election Hustings in Cambridge +
Monday, 1st June 8pm at Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Trumpington Street. Amnesty International Cambridge city group, Cambridge Oxfam Group and Cambridge NO2ID are collaborating to organise a European Election Hustings. MEP candidates or party representatives from the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green and UK Independence parties will be present to state their positions on all relevant issues, and answer questions from the audience. Attendance is open to all, and free (but donations are appreciated). Map: http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/D8VVUR2D

+ 6th June - NO2ID Stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair +
Volunteers needed to man the stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair for 2 hour shifts from 10am until 6pm: please contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew Watson on 07710 469624. We signed up 500 supporters last year - we'd like to improve on that number this year. (Strawberry Fair info: http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk)

+ Camden and Islington +

+ 2nd June - NO2ID Camden & Islington Meeting (1st Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 2nd June 8pm at The The Kings Head, 59 Essex Road, Islington, N1 2SF (http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub469.html). Directions from Angel tube: Turn right and walk up the High Street keeping to the left. Go through the antique market area and pass the Tesco's Metro. Walk for a further 2/3 minutes (passing the Queen's Head pub) and cross the road using the zebra crossing - the Kings Head is in front of this zebra crossing. For more info email camden@no2id.net or join the mailing list at: (http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.camden). All welcome.

+ Canterbury +

+ 30th May - Joint action: Protest at Dover Interrogation Centre +
Saturday, 30th May (joint action with Dover NO2ID) protest at Dover Interrogation Centre. More details to follow. Please contact us or come to the May meeting if you're interested in taking part - canterbury@no2id.net / 07792 567087.

+ Cheltenham +

The Cheltenham NO2ID group meet on the last Thursday of the month at 19.30 in The Swan, 37 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1DX. All welcome.

+ Dorking +

Preparations have begun for our Question Time public meeting on 9th September at Bourne Hall and as something of a first for a NO2ID group, we have a government minister coming along � Michael Wills MP, Minister of State for the Ministry of Justice. Also on the panel Chris Grayling Shadow Home Sec and our own Phil Booth.

+ 23rd May - Street Stall in Kingston +
Saturday, 23rd May - Dorking Group are heading north to help Kingston with their first street stall.

+ 2nd June - Dorking NO2ID Meeting (1st Tuesday of month)+
Tuesday, 2nd June 7.30pm at the Lincoln Arms, near Dorking mainline station. All welcome. Also beginning to prepare for our big Public Meeting / Question Time on 9th September with the Shadow Home Sec. We need to fill a hall with 350 people, so every bit of help is needed.

+ Dover +

+ 30th May - Joint action: Protest at Dover Interrogation Centre +
Saturday, 30th May (joint action with Canterbury NO2ID) protest at Dover Interrogation Centre. See Canterbury above.

+ Edinburgh +

+ 30th June - NO2ID Edinburgh Meeting +
Tuesday 30th June at 7.00pm at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL. Members meeting and brief AGM. More details in due course at (http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/future_meetings.html. All welcome.

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

+ Epsom +

Come on Epsom group � things are hotting up. A government minister is coming along to your Question Time public meeting at Bourne Hall on 9th September 7.30pm. He is Michael Wills MP, Minister of State for the Ministry of Justice. Also on the panel Chris Grayling Shadow Home Sec and our own Phil Booth. Help needed to publicise this as widely as possible � we need to fill the hall. If you can help, email Geoff on epsom@no2id.net.

If anyone wants to get involved in the Epsom area, please email or phone NO2ID South East Regional Coordinator Geoff Cox on south.east@no2id.net or call 01306 631377.

+ Glasgow +

+ 2nd June - Glasgow NO2ID Meeting (reverting to 1st Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 2nd June at 8pm in Mono. All welcome. Please contact Geraint for further details: glasgow@no2id.net

+ Hammersmith & Fulham +

+ 30th May - Hammersmith & Fulham NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 30th May, 11.00-12.00 (min.). Stall with petitions and leaflets planned for main Chiswick High Rd shopping centre. Look for us near Marks and Spencer, map ref: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=521030&y=178545&z=0&sv=W4+1PJ&st=2&pc=W4+1PJ&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf

More information from Brian Mooney, 07976 414913.

+ Hebden Bridge +

+ 28th May - Hebden Bridge NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday 28th May 7.30pm at the Fox and Goose. We will be planning practical activities. Please email hebden.bridge@no2id.net for further information.

+ Kensington and Chelsea +

+ 24th May - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Portobello Green +
Sunday, 24th May - tall at Portobello Green on Sunday 24th May . Come and help or stop and buy one of our ever popular mugs and save the horrendous P&P charges.

+ 13th June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Constitution Group Conference +
Saturday 13th June at The British Constitution Group Conference at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

+ 20th June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, TUC Conference Hall +
Saturday, 20th June 09:30-16:30 at TUC Conference Hall, Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

+ 21st June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Earl�s Court +
Sunday, 21st June Earls Court Street Fair

July date to be agreed but probably the 2nd Sunday in Portobello Road.

+ Kingston-Upon-Thames +

+ 23rd May - Kingston NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 23rd May 9am - 3pm. We are holding our first stall in Kingston Upon Thames' market square and are hoping for local MPs and a well known political band to attend to sign the pledge.

+ 30th May - Kingston NO2ID Meeting +
Saturday, 30th May 4pm at the Kingston Mill pub, 58-62 High Street, Kingston, Surrey, KT1 1HN. All welcome! For more details contact Charlotte Turner at (kingston@no2id.net). If you are interested in the work of the Kingston group or planning on attending the meeting, please join the Kingston-Upon-Thames mailing list here: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.kingston-upon-thames

+ Leeds +

+ 30th May - Leeds NO2ID Meeting +
Saturday, 30th May from 1pm on Briggate, weather permitting. Drop by and offer your services to the cause, or email leeds@no2id.net.

+ Manchester +

+ 2-4th June - Manchester NO2ID at Mark Thomas gigs +
2nd, 3rd and 4th June 8pm at the Dancehouse Theatre on Oxford Road - comedian and activist Mark Thomas has invited Mancehster NO2ID to help out at three gigs. The show is called "It's the Stupid Economy", and is centred around collecting ideas from the audience for a manifesto. If you're free on one of these evenings, prepared to spend your evening helping out and listening to a very funny satirical comedian, supporting the NO2ID campaign and having fun, then please visit http://manchester.no2id.net/content/mark-thomas-its-stupid-economy-tour-manchester

+ 13th June - Manchester NO2ID Street Stall +
13th June, 2-4pm in St. Ann's Square in Manchester City Centre (down near the big Marks and Spencer), to raise awareness among the public and engage people in discussion about the National Identity Register. We'll be collecting signatures for the NO2ID petition to keep people in touch with the campaign. We'll meet in the square itself at 2pm to set up shop; feel free to join us to lend a hand or just chat. You don't need any experience or equipment, just a bit of time to spare and a friendly smile!

+ 17th June - Manchester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +
Wednesday, 17th June 2009 7pm-9pm in the Town Hall Tavern, Tib Lane, Manchester. Sadly, this venue is not wheelchair-accessible; please contact us on manchester@no2id.net if you have accessibility needs. We are always looking for volunteers to take and type up minutes from our meetings; it's an easy way to help the campaign! The Town Hall Tavern serves reasonably-priced, good quality food until 9pm so you don't need to pop home for tea - you can even order your meal brought up to the function room.
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/monthly-meeting-june-2009

+ Newport +

+ 15th June - Newport NO2ID 1st Meeting +
Monday, 15th June, 7pm at House Morgain, Chelston Place, Newport NP20 5LX. Please do put this in your diary and come to meet me/ us. Coffee/ tea/ wine/ beer as you will. You can email, Shan Morgain on newport@no2id.net or join the mailing list at http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.newport

+ Norwich +

+ 13th June - Norwich NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 13th June 1pm-3pm at The Haymarket, Gentleman's Walk - please come along to express your discontent at this expensive and intrusive scheme. It should hopefully be sunny and cheerful, but best bring a brolly and a smile in case!

+ 16th June - Norwich NO2ID Group Meeting +
Tuesday, 16th June 7.30pm-9pm at The Workshop (opposite The Black Horse) on Earlham Road. It's a friendly atmosphere so drop in and join us to discuss how we can build support for the campaign and spread the word further.

+ 22nd June - Mark Thomas - It's The Stupid Economy Stall +
Monday 22nd June sees Mark Thomas bringing his political comedy to Norwich. He has helpfully agreed to let us put a stand up to inform people about the cause, starting 7pm-8pm and then after the show 10pm-11pm approx. For more information contact norwich@no2id.net

If you are interested in the work of the Norwich group, please join their mailing list on: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.norwich

+ Oxford +

+ 25th June - Oxford NO2ID Public Meeting +
Thursday, 25th June 8pm in the Sutro Room at Trinity College. This will feature a series of speakers discussing identity and privacy in the modern age. All welcome. Guests will include: * Robert Buckland (Tory candidate, Swindon South), * Steve Goddard (Lib Dem candidate, Oxford East), * Peter Hitchens (Columnist, Mail on Sunday), * Peter Tatchell (Human Rights Campaigner, Green candidate, Oxford East), * Glyn Wintle (Open Rights Group)

See the website for more: http://no2id-oxford.org.uk/

+ Redbridge +

+ 24th May - Redbridge Green Fair +
Sunday, 24th May 11.30ma - 7pm at Valentines Park, Ilford. Redbridge NO2ID will have a stall at the Redbridge Green Fair. Free entry. Contact Paul at redbridge@no2id.net / 07801 429782. See www.rgf.org.uk for details of the event.

+ Sheffield +

+ 30th May - Sheffield NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 30th May 11am-2pm Fargate

+ 6th June - Sheffield NO2ID at Peace in the Park, Ponderosa +
Saturday, 6th June at the Ponderosa, Netherthorpe (see http://web.peaceinthepark.org.uk/)

+ 10th June - Sheffield NO2ID Meeting +
Wednesday, 10th June at 7.30pm at The Harlequin Pub, 108 Nursery St, Sheffield, S3 8GG (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=s3+8gg).

+ York +

+ 4th June - York NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday, 4th June 7.30pm at at the Black Swan on Peaseholme Green, YO1 7PR. All welcome.

"ID" in the news

+ We must not get complacent - the government still wants ID cards - The Guardian 15/5/09 +
Just in case anyone thought the government had resigned itself to the certainty that ID cards would be abolished, here are the new draft orders laid before parliament under the Identity Cards Act 2006.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/henryporter/2009/may/15/idcards-privacy

+ ID scheme will cost £400m annually - Kable 11/5/09 +
If start up costs of £300m are included, the National Identity Scheme looks set to cost government and citizens around £4.3bn more than the cost of current passports over a decade.
http://www.kable.co.uk/national-identity-scheme-11may09

+ What did Manchester do to deserve the ID card trial? - The Telegraph 8/5/09 +
Jacqui Smith, who is obviously determined to Keep Calm and Carry On while the nation's attention is engaged by other matters, said on Wednesday that "ID cards will deliver real benefits to everyone, including increased protection against criminals, illegal immigrants and terrorists." Yawn. No, they won't. I'd have switched her off, only she suddenly said that they'd be "rolled out" in Manchester this year. Why? I'm fond of Manchester. What did Manchester ever do to deserve ID cards?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/vickiwoods/5297635/What-did-Manchester-do-to-deserve-the-ID-card-trial.html

+ DVLA issues thousands of duplicate tax discs due to computer error - Daily Telegraph 7/5/09 +
More than 60,000 duplicate tax discs have been issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency because of a computer error.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5292111/DVLA-issues-thousands-of-duplicate-tax-discs-due-to-computer-error.html

+ Are passport fees paying for ID cards? - Computer Weekly 8/5/09 +
Bill Crothers, CIO of the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), and its chief executive, James Hall, tell it like it is. Sometimes when officials talk to journalists they know immediately what the reporter wants to write - and they confuse, deliberately or not. Crothers and Hall are not like that. Two things were clear to us at the outset - before the interview - and were still clear afterwards.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/04/08/235570/are-passport-fees-paying-for-id-cards.htm

+ Ploughing on - The Economist 7/5/09 +
Toothbrush, soap, biometric fingerprints: shopping lists at pharmacies will soon be more exotic, now that the government has announced plans to let chemists, post offices and assorted other high-street shops process applications for its controversial new identity cards. On May 6th Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, announced that from this autumn the scheme, which until now has applied only to certain non-European folk, would be tried out in Manchester.
http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13612124&fsrc=rss

+ ID card scheme costing £125K a day - The Mirror 7/5/09 +
Documents seen by the Mirror show that £31,923,000 was shelled out on advisers during 2008 - equal to £3,644 an hour.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/your-mirror/mirror-archive/front-pages/2009/05/07/i-debit-cards-115875-21338476/

+ Introduction of ID cards is bloody-minded idiocy - The Mirror 7/5/09 +
Despite opposition across the country and a mammoth estimated cost of £5billion, the decision to continue with the introduction of ID cards is not courageous politics but bloody-minded idiocy.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/opinion/voiceofthemirror/2009/05/07/introduction-of-id-cards-is-bloody-minded-idiocy-115875-21339234/

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) )

NO2ID Newsletter 122

Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:01 GMT

+ PROPAGANDA BY DEED +

The Home Office is in a whirl of activity on the database state. But it isn�t actually doing anything. If you look carefully you can see that it is scrambling to secure its position, covered by a lot of noise about �change�.

On ID cards - The announcement of �trials� in Manchester is less than it seems. There is not yet a scheme nor even a specification. Retail chains who might take fingerprints are �in talks� with government, but it would be commercial madness for them to buy equipment for an undersigned scheme that might be cancelled in a year. Those who pre-register for the scheme are only serving to provide a number that some future Home Office minister can claim shows �the public want ID cards�. The razzamatazz around their opportunity is neatly timed to distract attention from the latest cost reports. No real change. But no change of direction either.

On the collection of communications data - though headlines have been grabbed by �cancelling� a super-database of all telephone calls, texts, emails and web-browsing, the collection and searching of the information is still intended. And the information will still be accessible to dozens of organisations without a warrant. No change.

On the DNA database in England and Wales, you will have read stories such as �Police to destroy DNA profiles of 800,000 innocent� (Guardian). Only they won�t. Not immediately. Let alone comply with the spirit of the law, or match the actual law in Scotland. The Home Office is merely consulting on a proposal that, at some indefinite point in the future it might (a) massively add to the database by sampling all convicts however long ago their convictions, and (b) remove the DNA profiles of those who are not convicted between 6 and 12 years after they are arrested � the period depending on what they are innocent of. On that basis the database will continue to grow very fast for years to come. No change.

Rest assured NO2ID will continue to fight the database state. No change.

What just happened?

+ Government dragging feet over DNA Database - time for a consultation! +

Back in December the government was defeated in a case at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the retention of DNA samples for those who have not committed an offence. Since then there has been no change to the UK law - whilst ministers "consider the judgment". Now the Home Office is launching a public consultation 'Keeping the right people on the DNA database' which includes proposals to automatically delete profiles of those arrested but not convicted of serious violent or sexual crimes after 12 years and automatically delete profiles of those arrested but not convicted of all other crimes after six years. Dr Helen Wallace, Director of GeneWatch said: "This is a long time for innocent people to wait to have their records wiped, DNA profiles can be used to track an individual or their relatives. Where are the weighty reasons that the European Court demanded to justify retention of this data?" GeneWatch also point out that the number of crimes detected using DNA has not increased despite the database more than doubling in size. As we go to press further details of the consultation are not yet available.

+ Reclaim Your DNA website launched +

As the government ums and ahs over the retention of innocent people's DNA, civil liberties groups including GeneWatch and NO2ID have come together to set up a new website 'Reclaim Your DNA' to help people ask to have their DNA removed from the National DNA database. Up to a million innocent people who have been arrested in England, Wales or Northern Ireland have had their DNA retained. This includes many children, who can be arrested from the age of ten. The site points out: "The most important thing to do first is to write a letter to the police" and the site can even generate a letter for you.
http://reclaimyourdna.org/

+ Blunkett and the ID Card U-Turn that wasn't a U-Turn +

Last week the mainstream media reported a change of heart by father of the ID card scheme David Blunkett following a speech at the InfoSec security conference. Apparently Blunkett wanted ID cards to be scrapped, he'd seen the error of his ways and the project would surely now crumble. However in a letter to the Daily Telegraph Blunkett pointed out: "I am entirely committed to the whole programme and, specifically, the database". In fact Blunkett only suggested that the plastic card could be dropped and the passport used instead - but not the usual passport. Blunkett said: "Most people already have a passport but they might want something more convenient to carry around than the current passport and may be able to have it as a piece of plastic for an extra cost." So just to be clear - Blunkett's U-turn was to back the National Identity Register, drop the plastic card and replace it with ... er ... a plastic card.

+ Latest ID scheme cost report shows cost increase +

The UK Identity and Passport Service (UKIP) has published its latest ten-year cost estimate of the National Identity Scheme. The report which specifically excludes costs to business, citizens and any part of government other than the Home Office � shows a £160 million increase in 6 months. The report also completely ignores the £250 million+ already spent on the scheme. The report even tries to re-brand the National Identity Scheme as the 'National Identity Service' in an attempt to suggest that there are benefits to signing up when in fact anyone who registers will be signing away their privacy for life and giving the government a blank cheque.
Read the report at: http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downloads/docA_IPS_cost_report%202009_v11_BM.pdf

+ Court prolongs German data access curbs +

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has again renewed an interim decision restricting access to the communications data of citizens who are not suspected of any crime. The curbs will probably stay in place until the court rules on a complaint that blanket data retention violates the German constitution. Some 34,000 people have put their names to the complaint.

+ Anti-ID card song +

Rock/alternative band Guns To Caviar have added an anti-ID-card track 'Function Creep' to their myspace page. The band said: "The cause needs a rock anthem, we reckon!" You can check it out at http://www.myspace.com/gunstocaviar

What's next?

+ Volunteers needed for Mark Thomas gigs +
Mark Thomas has invited NO2ID to help at some of his shows this year. NO2ID needs volunteers to help out as Mark tours around the country - please contact the NO2ID office (office@no2id.net) and we will put you in touch with the relevant local groups.
For details of gigs see http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_gigs/

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

To see if there's a group in your area check our list at http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/
Or, if you're interested in starting a group yourself, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net to discuss what's involved and what we have in place to support coordinators and their groups.

+ Alexandra Palace +

+ 17th June - Alexandra Palace NO2ID 1st Meeting +
Wednesday, 17 June at 8.15pm at The Gate pub on Station Road, N22 7SS. Directions: The Gate is opposite Alexandra Palace station (overground line) and a short walk from Wood Green tube station (Picadillly Line). The W3 stops outside.(map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=530331&y=190498&z=0&ar=Y). Everyone is welcome, newcomer or not, curious or committed. Please bring a friend. For more information contact alexandra.palace@no2id.net

+ Birmingham +

+ 26th May - Birmingham NO2ID Meeting (last Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 26th May 7.30pm in the boardroom in Bennett's Bar, Bennett's Hill, B2 5RS. NO2ID Birmingham holds regular monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of the month. This month's meeting will be taking a further look at the databases that make up the database state. There will be no stall this month due to other NO2ID commitments.

+ Cambridge +

+ 9th May - NO2ID Cambridge Stall +
Saturday, 9th May at 10am in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall. Location Map: (http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/T5LZATLS). Please contact Andrew on 07710 469624 if you'd like to help.

+ 30th May - Possible NO2ID Stall in Ipswich or Bury St Edmunds +
Saturday, 30th May Cambridge NO2ID will be running a street stall but not necessarily in Cambridge - we may take a car load of volunteers to Ipswich or Bury St Edmunds and run it there for a change of scenery. Please contact Andrew on 07710 469624 if you're interested in helping with a stall in either of these towns

+ 6th June - NO2ID Stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair +
Volunteers needed to man the stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair for 2 hour shifts from 10am until 6pm: please contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew Watson on 07710 469624. We signed up 500 supporters last year - we'd like to improve on that number this year. (Strawberry Fair info: http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk)

+ Camden and Islington +

+ 2nd June - NO2ID Camden & Islington Meeting (1st Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 2nd June 8pm at The The Kings Head, 59 Essex Road, Islington, N1 2SF (http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub469.html). Directions from Angel tube: Turn right and walk up the High Street keeping to the left. Go through the antique market area and pass the Tesco's Metro. Walk for a further 2/3 minutes (passing the Queen's Head pub) and cross the road using the zebra crossing - the Kings Head is in front of this zebra crossing. For more info email camden@no2id.net or join the mailing list at: (http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.camden). All welcome.

+ Canterbury +

+ 16th May - Canterbury NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 16th May 10am - 1pm in Canterbury High St: We'll be meeting afterwards to get materials together for the Dover protest.

+ 21st May - Canterbury NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday, 21st May, 7.30pm at the Bell and Crown, Palace St.

+ 30th May - Joint action: Protest at Dover Interrogation Centre +
Saturday, 30th May (joint action with Dover NO2ID) protest at Dover Interrogation Centre. More details to follow. Please contact us or come to the May meeting if you're interested in taking part - canterbury@no2id.net / 07792 567087.

+ Cheltenham +

The Cheltenham NO2ID group meet on the last Thursday of the month at 19.30 in The Swan, 37 High Street, Cheltenham, GL50 1DX. All welcome.

+ Daventry +

+ 13th May - Daventry NO2ID Meeting (2nd Wednesday of month) +
We meet at 8pm every 2nd Wednesday in the month in the "Dun Cow" pub, Brook Street, Daventry.

+ Derby +

+ 19th May - Derby NO2ID inaugural Meeting +
Tuesday, 19th May 7.30pm at the Friend�s Meeting House, St Helen�s Street, Derby DE1 3GY. For more information contact the coordinator, Nick Wray on derby@no2id.net or join the mailing list on: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.derby

+ Dorking +

+ 2nd June - Dorking NO2ID Meeting (1st Tuesday of month)+
Tuesday, 2nd June 7.30pm at the Lincoln Arms, near Dorking mainline station. All welcome. Also beginning to prepare for our big Public Meeting / Question Time on 9 Sept with the Shadow Home Sec. We need to fill a hall with 350 people, so every bit of help is needed.

+ Dover +

+ 9th May - Dover NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 9th May, weather permitting, from 10am in Dover. Location: In front of War Memorial by the Town Hall (Biggin Street/High Street). Please come along and help if you can. Contact Ian Taylor � dover@no2id.net

+ 30th May - Joint action: Protest at Dover Interrogation Centre +
Saturday, 30th May (joint action with Canterbury NO2ID) protest at Dover Interrogation Centre. See Canterbury above.

+ Edinburgh +

+ MP addresses Edinburgh meeting +
The guest speaker at the Edinburgh group meeting 1st May was John Barrett, the Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West. In fact, this was the first time that we had invited an MP, as opposed to an MSP, to our meetings. Speaking of the problem of inaccurate information in databases and getting it corrected he cited his own personal example - some time ago Companies House had mistakenly identified him as a company director and it was extremely difficult to prove this information was wrong. Given that three out of the four sitting Edinburgh MPs are currently Labour, he judged that the city would clearly be a key battleground at the next General Election. He therefore urged us to raise the issue of ID card abolition with every candidate, formally and at the hustings.

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

+ Epsom +

Dear Epsom NO2IDers � now is the time to get involved. On Sept 9, there will be a public meeting/Question Time at Bourne Hall, with Epsom MP Chris Grayling (Shadow Home Sec) and other names to be announced. The hall seats 350 people so we will need to do plenty of advertising including street stalls, leafleting at train stations, raising awareness through local LibDems / Conservatives / Independent networks, contacting schools etc. If you can help, email Geoff on epsom@no2id.net.

If anyone wants to get involved in the Epsom area, please email or phone NO2ID South East Regional Coordinator Geoff Cox on south.east@no2id.net or call 01306 631377.

+ Glasgow +

+ 2nd June - Glasgow NO2ID Meeting (reverting to 1st Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 2nd June at 8pm in Mono. All welcome. Please contact Geraint for further details: glasgow@no2id.net

+ Hackney +

+ 19th May - Hackney NO2ID re-launch Meeting +
Tuesday, 19th May 8pm at the Penbury Tavern, Amhurst Road, E8 1JH. For more info contact Carl Reynolds at hackney@no2id.net or join the mailing list at http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.hackney-and-shoreditch

+ Hammersmith & Fulham +

+ 10th May - Hammersmith & Fulham NO2ID Street Stall +
Sunday, 10th May, 11.30am-12.30pm. Stall with petitions and leaflets outside West 12 shopping centre, Shepherds Bush Green. Depending on numbers, we may spread to outside Westfield centre/Shepherds Bush tube - which is opposite West 12.

+ 14th May, Hammersmith & Fulham NO2ID local get-together +
Thursday, 14th May, 7.00pm. Local get-together - in the bar in the Plough and Harrow, King St, Hammersmith. More information from Brian Mooney, 07976 414913.

+ Hebden Bridge +

+ 28th May - Hebden Bridge NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday 28th May 7.30pm at the Fox and Goose. This time around we will be planning practical activities that the groups can undertake. Please email hebden.bridge@no2id.net for further information.

+ Kensington and Chelsea +

+ May (TBC) - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Portobello Road +
May date to be agreed but probably the 2nd Sunday in Portobello Road.

+ 13th June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Constitution Group Conference +
Saturday 13th June at The British Constitution Group Conference at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

+ 20th June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, TUC Conference Hall +
Saturday, 20th June 09:30-16:30 at TUC Conference Hall, Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

+ 21st June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Earl�s Court +
Sunday, 21st June Earls Court Street Fair

July date to be agreed but probably the 2nd Sunday in Portobello Road. It is with regret we will not be able to attend Levellers Day in Burford this year. All offers of help will be gratefully received (kensington@no2id.net).

+ Kingston-Upon-Thames +

+ 23rd May - Kingston NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 23rd May 9am - 3pm. We are holding our first stall in Kingston Upon Thames' market square and are hoping for local MPs and a well known political band to attend to sign the pledge.

+ 30th May - Kingston NO2ID Meeting +
Saturday, 30th May 4pm at the Kingston Mill pub, 58-62 High Street, Kingston, Surrey, KT1 1HN. All welcome! For more details contact Charlotte Turner at (kingston@no2id.net). If you are interested in the work of the Kingston group or planning on attending the meeting, please join the Kingston-Upon-Thames mailing list here: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.kingston-upon-thames

+ Lanark +

+ 10th May - Lanark NO2ID 1st Meeting +
Sunday, 10th May 3pm at the Cydesdale Inn in Lanark. Dr Geraint Bevan the Scottish coordinator for NO2ID Scotland will be present. The informal meeting will concentrate on how to raise awareness of the NO2ID campaign in and around Lanark, and seek to provide answers to any questions the attendees may have about ID cards and the database state. For more details contact Richard Clay at (lanark@no2id.net), visit the website at http://www.no2id-scotland.net/lanark or join the mailing list at http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.lanark/

+ Manchester +

+ 9th May - Manchester NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 9th May 2pm-4pm in St. Ann's Square in Manchester City Centre (down near the big Marks and Spencer), to raise awareness among the public and engage people in discussion about the National Identity Register. We'll be collecting signatures for the NO2ID petition to keep people in touch with the campaign. We'll meet in the square itself at 2pm to set up shop; feel free to join us to lend a hand or just chat. You don't need any experience or equipment, just a bit of time to spare and a friendly smile!
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/street-stall-may-2009

+ 13th May - Manchester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +
Wednesday, 13th May 2009 7pm-9pm in the Town Hall Tavern, Tib Lane, Manchester. Sadly, this venue is not wheelchair-accessible; please contact us on manchester@no2id.net if you have accessibility needs. We are always looking for volunteers to take and type up minutes from our meetings; it's an easy way to help the campaign! The Town Hall Tavern serves reasonably-priced, good quality food until 9pm so you don't need to pop home for tea - you can even order your meal brought up to the function room.
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/monthly-meeting-may-2009

+ Newport +

+ 15th June - Newport NO2ID 1st Meeting +
Monday, 15th June, 7pm at House Morgain, Chelston Place, Newport NP20 5LX. Please do put this in your diary and come to meet me/ us. Coffee/ tea/ wine/ beer as you will. You can email, Shan Morgain on newport@no2id.net or join the mailing list at http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.newport

+ Norwich +

+ 9th May - Norwich NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 9th May from 1pm until 3pm at The Haymarket on Gentleman's Walk. Show your support for the campaign by spreading the word to the general public. We're also neatly positioned to sample the manifold delights of The Puppet Man, if you so desire.

+ 12th May - Norwich NO2ID Group Meeting +
Tuesday, 12th May at The Workshop (opposite The Black Horse) on Earlham Road from 7.30pm-9pm. Action stations! Support is steadily building in the Norwich area. We're preparing a range of events, talks, debates and activities and would like you to come along to participate. Everybody welcome from newbie to expert.

+ 13th June - Norwich NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 13th June 1pm-3pm at The Haymarket, Gentleman's Walk - please come along to express your discontent at this expensive and intrusive scheme. It should hopefully be sunny and cheerful, but best bring a brolly and a smile in case! (Puppet Man appreciation optional)

+ 16th June - Norwich NO2ID Group Meeting +
Tuesday, 16th June 7.30pm-9pm at The Workshop (opposite The Black Horse) on Earlham Road. It's a friendly atmosphere so drop in and join us to discuss how we can build support for the campaign and spread the word further.

+ 22nd June - Mark Thomas - It's The Stupid Economy Stall +
Monday 22nd June sees Mark Thomas bringing his political comedy to Norwich. He has helpfully agreed to let us put a stand up to inform people about the cause, starting 7pm-8pm and then after the show 10pm-11pm approx. For more information contact norwich@no2id.net

If you are interested in the work of the Norwich group, please join their mailing list on: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.norwich

+ Oxford +

+ 25th June - Oxford NO2ID Public Meeting +
Thursday, 25th June 8pm in the Sutro Room at Trinity College. This will feature a series of speakers discussing identity and privacy in the modern age. All welcome. Guests will include: * Robert Buckland (Tory candidate, Swindon South), * Steve Goddard (Lib Dem candidate, Oxford East), * Peter Hitchens (Columnist, Mail on Sunday), * Peter Tatchell (Human Rights Campaigner, Green candidate, Oxford East), * Glyn Wintle (Open Rights Group)

See the website for more: http://no2id-oxford.org.uk/

+ Selby & York +

+ 16th May - Selby & York NO2ID joint Street Stall +
Saturday, 16th May 10.30-14.30 in Parliament Street York - Selby & York joint ID stall .

+ Sheffield +

+ 9th May - Sheffield NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 9th May 11am-2pm, Fargate

+ 30th May - Sheffield NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 30th May 11am-2pm Fargate

+ 6th June - Sheffield NO2ID at Peace in the Park, Ponderosa +
Saturday, 6th June at the Ponderosa, Netherthorpe (see http://web.peaceinthepark.org.uk/)

+ 10th June - Sheffield NO2ID Meeting +
Wednesday, 10th June at 7.30pm at The Harlequin Pub, 108 Nursery St, Sheffield, S3 8GG (http:www.theharlequinpub.co.uk).

+ Shrewsbury +

+ 9th May - Shrewsbury NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 9th May 1.30pm Pride Hill, Shrewsbury (weather permitting).

+ 20th May - Shrewsbury NO2ID "dining club" (NB change of date) +
Wednesday, 20th May - our regular "dining club" is meeting at 7.15pm for a curry in the town centre. Do join us for a meal, or just come along for a drink. We need to book the table a few days in advance, so contact Rob Findlay on shrewsbury@no2id.net (or 07973 848910) if you'd like to come along.

+ Worcester +

+ 13th May - Worcester NO2ID Meeting +
Wednesday, 13th May 8pm at The Portobello Inn, St Johns, Worcester (map available from our website @ http://www.no2id-worcester.org.uk/meetings). Table in the Lounge Bar. Look out for the NO2ID logo to spot us if you have not been before. Its an open door policy. Anyone can come along regardless of your stance, experience or awareness on the issues regarding or related to the National Identity Scheme. Why not bring a friend and join us for some drinks! If you cannot make it stay tuned for the details of the meeting's outcome on our website blog @ http://www.no2id-worcester.org.uk/blog

"ID" in the news

+ The ID card is on its last legs - just let it die with dignity - Evening Standard 7/5/09 +
As Jacqui Smith's death notices are published in all the newspapers, one further Home Office corpse is still, for the moment, twitching.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23686689-details/The+ID+card+is+on+its+last+legs+-+just+let+it+die+with+dignity/article.do

+ Lunatic' Smith doubles ID card costs for Mancunians - The Register 6/5/09 +
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today confirmed that Manchester volunteers will be allowed to pay a total of £60 for an ID card from later this year. The price tag on the ID card will remain £30, but the Home Office is now estimating the cost of biometric enrollment, payable to the high street stores it hopes to recruit, as a further £30.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/06/manc_id_cards/

+ Manchester launch for ID cards - BBC News Online 6/5/09 +
Manchester will this autumn become the first city where people can sign up for an ID card, Jacqui Smith has said. Anyone over 16 in the city with a UK passport will be able to apply for a card from the Home Office.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8035002.stm

+ Ministers to trim DNA database - BBC News Online 6/5/09 +
Ministers are to heed a court ruling that profiles of innocent people on a national DNA database must be removed. The Home Office says the number of people on the database could be cut by up to 850,000 to bring it into line with the Court of Human Rights.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8037042.stm

+ Jacqui's secret plan to 'Master the Internet' - The Register 3/5/09 +
Spy chiefs are already spending hundreds of millions of pounds on a mass internet surveillance system, despite Jacqui Smith's announcement earlier this week that proposals for a central warehouse of communications data had been dumped on privacy grounds.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/03/gchq_mti/

+ Darling hints £5bn ID cards could be dropped in favour of biometric passports - Daily Mail 30/4/09 +
Labour's ID card policy was in fresh disarray last night after Chancellor Alistair Darling failed to back the £5billion project. Mr Darling put the scheme in doubt by signalling the Government may just introduce biometric passports instead.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1175122/Darling-hints-5bn-ID-cards-dropped-favour-biometric-passports.html

+ Cameron: Give the UK's health records to Google - The Register 27/4/09 +
David Cameron has repeated his pledge to cancel the ContactPoint database and the ID card scheme if the Tories win the next election. Speaking at the weekend, Cameron said the Tories would also look closely at the National Programme for IT - the controversial and expensive NHS modernisation programme.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/27/cameron_health_records

+ State appoints ID card contractors for £650m - Contractor UK 17/4/09 +
The two most IT-centric contracts for a biometric Britain have been awarded to CSC and IBM, bringing the state's aim of a nationwide identity scheme a step closer. Computer Sciences Corporation won a £385m deal to upgrade the application and enrolment system, while IBM took a £265m contract to build the biometrics database.
http://www.contractoruk.com/news/004312.html

+ DNA pioneer Alec Jeffreys: drop innocent from database - The Guardian 15/4/09 +
The inventor of genetic fingerprinting, Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, today warns that the government is putting at risk public support for the DNA national database by holding the genetic details of hundreds of thousands of innocent people
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/15/jeffreys-dna-database-human-rights-police/print

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) )

NO2ID Newsletter 121

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:01 GMT

+ JOIN NO2ID AND HELP US FIGHT THE DATABASE STATE +

As the recent The Joseph Rowntree Trust report [1] highlights the Database State continues to expand. To fight it - via campaigning, lobbying politicians and journalists, printing information leaflets and adverts, or organising public events - inevitably takes money. Which means we need members.

Almost all our funding comes from membership fees and donations from individual supporters - we are hardly likely to get a government grant even if we wanted it, and we stay independent of any political patronage of any kind.

Join NO2ID [2] and encourage someone else to join too. Word of mouth is one of the best ways for us to expand - and talking about the issues relating to the ID scheme and the database state is a great way of informing people and getting our message across.

Individual membership of NO2ID starts at £15 a year but if you can give more, please do - every pound spent is an investment in your and your family's freedoms. You can download a membership form from our website: http://www.no2id.net/downloads/membForm.pdf

If you are already a member, then thank you. You are the reason we are able to do our work at all.

--
Notes:
[1] See http://www.jrrt.org.uk/
[2] For more details of how to join NO2ID see http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/join

What just happened?

+ Fear fuelling fear +

37% of people in the UK feel frightened more often than they used to, according to a survey for the Mental Health Foundation. �Institutionally-driven fear� is one of the reasons cited for this steep rise. Drawing on official figures, the foundation�s new report 'In the Face of Fear' suggests that 7.2 million (1 in 7) people now have anxiety disorders in the UK - 800,000 more than in the early nineties. �Social policy aimed at controlling risk and quelling fear often seems to increase it,� the report says. �Measures based on installing visible signs of �security� such as CCTV cameras (the UK now has 4.2 million, more than in the rest of Europe put together) appear to be counter-productive � they don�t lead to people feeling safer. Creating visible signs of security may make some people more fearful, as they sense high security must mean high risk.� Anxiety is a major cause of both mental and physical ill-health, the foundation points out. Among the suggested remedies: governments �should stop unnecessarily using the language of fear as an instrument to promote their own policies and approaches�.

+ Lords debate regulation, collection and retention of personal data +

On Thursday 2nd April peers debated data collection, retention and sharing. Baroness Neville-Jones raised the controversial issue of retention of communications data such as emails that was to be introduced as primary legislation but was snuck through as secondary legislation (The Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2009) - she said: "Are we going to get any primary legislation? The Government would do well to come clean on their intentions, since failure to do so obliges one to examine the scenarios that could develop without primary legislation".
Watch the debate at: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=3756
Read the transcript at: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2009-04-02a.1180.8

+ Fife council passes anti-ID scheme motion +

Fife council has passed a motion in opposition to the government's ID card scheme stating that it believed the scheme would lead directly to a loss of civil liberties without guaranteed greater security for Fife's citizens. Councillor Keith Legg said: "I am increasingly concerned about the slow creep towards the 'database state' within the UK. Although this may just be a small step, if more local authorities were prepared to take this stance then it would become increasingly difficult for the government to implement these illiberal proposals." The council resolved not to co-operate with the introduction of ID cards or to require ID cards to access council services "unless specifically required to do so by legislation".

+ NO2ID Legal Group joins the debate +

A letter from Paul Kaufman, a lawyer at Wiseman Lee and member of NO2ID's lawyers group has been published in the Law Society�s weekly publication the Law Gazette. The letter was in response to a recent Law Gazette article which claimed that: "solicitors are going to be early adopters of the ID infrastructure, whether they like it or not". Kaufman points out that in light of the unpopularity of the ID scheme, coupled with the lack of card readers "solicitors will therefore be very foolish to start planning to use ID cards in 2011". If lawyers are to be in the front-line as the ID-scheme rolls out then they are ideally placed to fight it - any lawyers who would like to join the NO2ID Lawyers Group, which has a private invitation-only discussion list and holds occasional social meetings close to Fleet Street, should contact Liz Norman at (legal@no2id.net).
Read the full letter at http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/opinion/letters/mistaken-identity

What's next?

+ Magazine layout skills required +
Do you have any experience in magazine design, preparation and layout? If so would you be willing to help put together a 6 monthly internal NO2ID print newsletter? Contact Matty Mitford at local.groups@no2id.net if you're able to help.

+ Volunteers needed for Mark Thomas gigs +
Mark Thomas has invited NO2ID to help at some of his shows this year. NO2ID needs volunteers to help out as Mark tours around the country - please contact the NO2ID office (office@no2id.net) and we will put you in touch with relevant local group. We need two or three reliable volunteers to help out at the Mark Thomas gig in Exeter on 4th May. Also volunteers required for Belfast 6th May, Nottingham 11th May, Andover 12th May and Colchester 14th May. Please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net if you're able to help.
For details of gigs see http://www.markthomasinfo.com/section_gigs/

+ UK Tour of Anti-ID play +
The UK tour of the play 'Another Paradise' is now underway. The play asks "What will it actually mean if all our personal information is at the fingertips of a civil servant � or a hacker? Does that violate our individuality - who we are, what we are?". The tour will visit Yorkshire, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Stockton-on-Tees, Leeds, Plymouth, Coventry and London
Details at http://www.kalitheatre.co.uk/whatson/Another_Paradise.htm

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

To see if there's a group in your area check our list at http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/
Or, if you're interested in starting a group yourself, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net to discuss what's involved and what we have in place to support coordinators and their groups.

+ Birmingham +

+ 28th April - Birmingham NO2ID Meeting (last Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 28th April 7.30pm in the boardroom in Bennett's Bar, Bennett's Hill, B2 5RS. NO2ID Birmingham holds regular monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of the month. This month's meeting will be taking a further look at the databases that make up the database state. There will be no stall this month due to other NO2ID commitments.

+ Bristol +

+ 6th May - Bristol NO2ID Meeting +
Wednesday, 6th May 7.30pm at Deco Lounge, Cotham Hill (just off Whiteladies Rd). Everyone welcome.

+ Cambridge +

Cambridge NO2ID and Mark Thomas
On 20th and 21st April Cambridge NO2ID volunteers helped with comedian Mark Thomas's latest show "It's the Stupid Economy" by collecting the audience's suggestions for Mark to use during the show. Both Mark and Will Hodgson (who does a stand-up monologue as part of the show) are very supportive of NO2ID, and Will has performed at NO2ID benefits in the past. During the show Mark describes having his DNA removed from the English DNA database after having been arrested but later acquitted when the court found no evidence of a crime having been committed in the first place. NO2ID volunteers manned a stall in the foyer and signed up over 70 new NO2ID supporters, as well as watching the show themselves. We're very grateful to Mark, Will and Mark's team for two enjoyable and productive evenings. Mark's show is touring the country over the coming months, and is well worth seeing: http://www.markthomasinfo.com/

+ 6th May - Cambridge NO2ID pub meeting (1st Wednesday of each month) +
Wednesday, 6th May 7.30pm at the Salisbury Arms, 76 Tenison Rd, Cambridge CB1 2DW (http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/CYXNES29). For more details contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624.

+ 9th May - NO2ID Cambridge Stall +
Saturday, 9th May at 10am in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall. Location Map: (http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/T5LZATLS). Please contact Andrew on 07710 469624 if you'd like to help.

+ 6th June - NO2ID Stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair +
Volunteers needed to man the stall at Cambridge Strawberry Fair for 2 hour shifts from 10am until 6pm: please contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew Watson on 07710 469624. We signed up 500 supporters last year - we'd like to improve on that number this year. (Strawberry Fair info: http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk)

+ Camden and Islington +

+ 5th May - NO2ID Camden & Islington Meeting (1st Tuesday of month) *NEW LOCATION * +
Tuesday, 5th May 8pm at The The Kings Head, 59 Essex Road, Islington, N1 2SF (http://www.fancyapint.com/pubs/pub469.html). Directions from Angel tube: Turn right and walk up the High Street keeping to the left. Go through the antique market area and pass the Tesco's Metro. Walk for a further 2/3 minutes (passing the Queen's Head pub) and cross the road using the zebra crossing - the Kings Head is in front of this zebra crossing. For more info email camden@no2id.net or join the mailing list at: (http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.camden). All welcome.

+ Canterbury +

+ 16th May - Canterbury NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 16th May 10am - 1pm in Canterbury High St: We'll be meeting afterwards to get materials together for the Dover protest.

+ 21st May - Canterbury NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday, 21st May, 7.30pm at the Bell and Crown, Palace St.

+ 30th May - Joint action: Protest at Dover Interrogation Centre +
Saturday, 30th May (joint action with Dover NO2ID) protest at Dover Interrogation Centre. More details to follow. Please contact us or come to the May meeting if you're interested in taking part - cantebury@no2id.net / 07792 567087.

+ Cheltenham +

+ 30th April - Cheltenham NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday, 30th April 19.30 at The Swan, 37 High St, Cheltenham, GL50 1DX.Please come.

+ Daventry +

+ 13th May - Daventry NO2ID Meeting (2nd Weds of month) +
We meet at 8pm every 2nd Wednesday in the month in the "Dun Cow" pub, Brook Street, Daventry.

+ 2nd May - Daventry NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 2nd May we will be manning a stall in Daventry High Street from 8.30am to 1.30pm.

+ Dorking +

+ 5th May - Dorking NO2ID Meeting (1st Tuesday of month)+
Tuesday, 5th May 7.30pm at the Lincoln Arms, near Dorking mainline station. All welcome. Also beginning to prepare for our big Public Meeting / Question Time on 9 Sept with the Shadow Home Sec. We need to fill a hall with 350 people, so every bit of help is needed.

+ Dover +

+ 9th May - Dover NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 9th May, weather permitting, from 10am in Dover. Location: In front of War Memorial by the Town Hall (Biggin Street/High Street). Please come along and help if you can. Contact Ian Taylor � dover@no2id.net

+ Edinburgh +

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

+ 1st May - Edinburgh NO2ID Meeting +
Friday, 1st May at 7.00pm in The Meeting Room, Quaker Meeting House,7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh. Guest speaker: John Barrett, MP for Edinburgh West. Further details at: (http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/future_meetings.html). All welcome.

+ Epsom +

Dear Epsom NO2IDers � now is the time to get involved. On Sept 9, there will be a public meeting/Question Time at Bourne Hall, with Epsom MP, Chris Grayling (Shadow Home Sec) and other names to be announced. The hall seats 350 people, so we will need to do plenty of advertising including street stalls, leafleting at train stations, raising awareness through local LibDems / Conservatives / Independent networks, contacting schools etc. If you can help, email Geoff on epsom@no2id.net.

If anyone wants to get involved in the Epsom area, please email or phone NO2ID South East Regional Coordinator Geoff Cox on south.east@no2id.net or call 01306 631377.

+ Glasgow +

+ 5th May - Glasgow NO2ID Meeting (reverting to 1st Tuesday of month) +
Tuesday, 5th May at 8pm in Mono. All welcome. Please contact Geraint for further details: glasgow@no2id.net

+ Hammersmith & Fulham +

Hammersmith & Fulham group is going through a renaissance. Co-ordinator Brian Mooney requests activists to pencil in 14th May for a possible evening meeting. A stall will be held outside Shepherds Bush station/West 12 shopping centre late morning on Sunday, 10th May. More details soon, 07976 414913.

+ Hebden Bridge +

+ 28th May - Hebden Bridge NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday 28th May 7.30pm at the Fox and Goose. This time around we will be planning practical activities that the groups can undertake. Please email hebden.bridge@no2id.net for further information.

+ Kensington and Chelsea +

+ May (TBC) - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Portobello Road +
May date to be agreed but probably the 2nd Sunday in Portobello Road.

+ 13th June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Constitution Group Conference +
Saturday 13th June The British Constitution Group Conference at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

+ 20th June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, TUC Conference Hall +
Saturday, 20th June 09:30-16:30 at TUC Conference Hall, Congress House, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

+ 21st June - Kensington & Chelsea NO2ID Street Stall, Earl�s Court +
Sunday, 21st June Earl�s Court Street Fair

July date to be agreed but probably the 2nd Sunday in Portobello Road. It is with regret we will not be able to attend Levellers� Day in Burford this year. All offers of help will be gratefully received (kensington@no2id.net).

+ Kingston-Upon-Thames +

+ 25th April - Kingston NO2ID Meeting +
Saturday, 25th April 4pm at the Kingston Mill, 58-62 High Street, Kingston, Surrey, KT1 1HN. For more details contact Charlotte Turner at (kingston@no2id.net). If you are interested in the work of the Kingston group or planning on attending the meeting, please join the Kingston-Upon-Thames mailing list here: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.kingston-upon-thames

+ Lanark +

+ 10th May - Lanark NO2ID 1st Meeting +
Sunday, 10th May 3pm at the Cydesdale Inn in Lanark. Dr Geraint Bevan the Scottish coordinator for NO2ID Scotland will be present. The informal meeting will concentrate on how to raise awareness of the NO2ID campaign in and around Lanark, and seek to provide answears to any questions the attendees may have about ID cards and the database state.

+ Leicester +

+ 29th April - Leicester NO2ID Meeting +
Wednesday, 29th April 8pm in The Blues pub on Uplands Road/Severn Road corner in Oadby.

+ Manchester +

+ 1st May - Mark Thomas gig, Warrington +
Friday, 1st May 8pm at the Parr Hall in Warrington. Comedian and activist Mark Thomas has invited NO2ID to help out at his gig. We will need around five volunteers. If you're free to be in Warrington on 1st May, and prepared to spend your evening helping out and listening to a satirical comedian, supporting the NO2ID campaign and having fun, then please contact Dave on north.west@no2id.net
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/mark-thomas-its-stupid-economy-gig-warrington

+ 6th May - Manchester Students Against ID AGM +
Wednesday, 6th May 7pm in the Jabez Clegg pub. Items for discussion include the executive committee positions for the September 2009 academic year, campaigns and activities, and Fresher's Fair. All welcome, even if you're not an existing member of the society.
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/students-against-id-agm

+ 9th May - Manchester NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 9th May 2pm-4pm in St. Ann's Square in Manchester City Centre (down near the big Marks and Spencer), to raise awareness among the public and engage people in discussion about the National Identity Register. We'll be collecting signatures for the NO2ID petition to keep people in touch with the campaign. We'll meet in the square itself at 2pm to set up shop; feel free to join us to lend a hand or just chat. You don't need any experience or equipment, just a bit of time to spare and a friendly smile!
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/street-stall-may-2009

+ 13th May - Manchester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +
Wednesday, 13th May 2009 7pm-9pm in the Town Hall Tavern, Tib Lane, Manchester. Sadly, this venue is not wheelchair-accessible; please contact us on manchester@no2id.net if you have accessibility needs. We are always looking for volunteers to take and type up minutes from our meetings; it's an easy way to help the campaign! The Town Hall Tavern serves reasonably-priced, good quality food until 9pm so you don't need to pop home for tea - you can even order your meal brought up to the function room.
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/monthly-meeting-may-2009

+ Norwich +

+ 24th April - Norwich NO2ID Stall at Mark Thomas Event at The Playhouse +
Friday, 24th April sees Mark Thomas bringing his political comedy to Norwich. He has helpfully agreed to let us put a stand up to inform people about the cause, starting 7pm-8pm and then after the show 10pm-11pm approx.

+ 9th May - Norwich NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 9th May from 1pm until 3pm at The Haymarket on Gentleman's Walk. Show your support for the campaign by spreading the word to the general public. We're also neatly positioned to sample the manifold delights of The Puppet Man, if you so desire.

+ 12th May - Norwich NO2ID Group Meeting +
Tuesday, 12th May at The Workshop (opposite The Black Horse) on Earlham Road from 7.30pm-9pm. Action stations! Support is steadily building in the Norwich area. We're preparing a range of events, talks, debates and activities and would like you to come along to participate. Everybody welcome from newbie to expert.

If you are interested in the work of the Norwich group, please join their mailing list on: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.norwich

+ Oxford +

We now have a date for our summer event - this will be on the evening of Thursday 25 June, so put it in your diary now. We are in the process of confirming the panel for this, but rest assured there will be some well-known speakers.

+ 25th April - NO2ID Oxford Street Stall +
Saturday, 25th April in East Oxford from noon until 2pm. If you'd like to help with this, contact Jim (gadjie at gmail.com) who is organising it. This is our most important activity and the best way to raise awareness, so come and lend a hand!

+ 25th April - Faringdon Peace Group �TAKING LIBERTIES� event +
Saturday, 25th April 2-6pm at the Corn Exchange, Faringdon. Admission free. All welcome. Refreshments. An afternoon of speeches and debate on the theme of the erosion of our civil liberties. Speakers: Tony Benn, Henry Porter, Scilla Elworthy, Derek Wall and Ed Vaizey MP. Chair: Malcolm Harper. More information from Jennie Chesterton 01367-710308, or Karen Vogt 01367-241707 or email karen@vogt.org.uk

+ 7th May - Oxford NO2ID Meeting +
Thursday, 7th May from 8pm at the Mitre on the High Street.

See the website for more: http://no2id-oxford.org.uk/

+ Reading +

+ 25th April - Reading NO2ID Street Stall +
Saturday, 25h April 11am-2pm on Broad Street.

+ Sheffield +

+ 6th May - Sheffield NO2ID Meeting (1st Wednesday of month) +
Wednesday, 6th May at 7.30pm upstairs at The Harlequin Pub, 108 Nursery St, Sheffield, S3 8GG (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=s3+8gg). The plan is to carry on meeting on the first Wednesday of every month. We hope to welcome along all those who wished to come to the first meeting but were not able!

+ York +

+ 29th April - York NO2ID Meeting +
Wednesday, 29th April 7.30 pm at the Black Swan, Peasholme Green York YO1 7PR. The newly formed York NO2ID group will be holding their second informal meeting to discuss plans for future activities. Everyone is welcome, whether vaguely interested or deeply committed.

"ID" in the news

+ Pupils on school buses can now be tracked by parents thanks to GPS tickets - Daily Mail 22/4/09 +
A new satellite system has been launched which will allow parents and teachers to keep closer tabs on schoolchildren. Peter Daniels, of Denbighshire County Council, said: 'The system is actually very secure. There's no information on the cards that the pupils will be given themselves. It's all held on a database and it's obviously governed by data protection'.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1172531/Pupils-school-buses-tracked-parents-thanks-GPS-tickets.html

+ Spy chiefs size up net snoop gear - The Register 21/4/09 +
The security minister has confirmed officials are considering installing technology that could enable on-demand wiretapping of all communications passing over the internet by the intelligence services and law enforcement.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/21/imp_dpi/

+ ID card 'chip and PIN' proposal raises security fears - ZDNet 16/4/09 +
The government has proposed adding chip-and-PIN capabilities to ID cards, but questions remain over whether such a move would be beneficial � or even possible � at this late stage in the £4.7bn project.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39640836,00.htm

+ Audit Commission criticises data quality - e-Health insider 16/4/09 +
A report published by the Audit Commission has concluded that data quality is still �often not what it needs to be to meet the demands now being placed upon it.� The report, Figures You Can Trust: Data Quality in the NHS, says that although there have been some improvements since its 2004 report on Data Quality, its conclusions are still �largely relevant� because there has been �limited progress.�
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/4756/audit_commission_criticises_data_quality

+ UK's visa fingerprint system fails - The Register 15/4/09 +
The UK Border Agency, which became fully independent this month, is already celebrating its first technology failure - the system by which applicants for UK visas must send their fingerprints to London for checking went down last week.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/15/visa_finger_problems/

+ My £1 run-in with the Met's Oyster car squad - Daily Mail 11/4/09 +
They wanted ID. I produced a credit card, a Press card, a business card for this newspaper and, to top it all, a Matalan card. How amazingly normal could I be? But it wasn�t good enough. By now I was mystified. And late. And annoyed. �We want a driving licence or a passport.�
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1169360/SUZANNE-MOORE-My-1-run-Mets-Oyster-car-squad.html

+ Are passport fees paying for ID cards? - Computer Weekly 8/4/09 +
So as more money is spent on ID cards the cost must be recovered from fees. It is politically unacceptable to charge too much for ID cards; few people would want to buy them. But the market for new and replacement passports is big and captive. There is also the potential to charge the public to have changes of addresses made on the new systems.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/04/08/235570/are-passport-fees-paying-for-id-cards.htm

+ UKBA to exchange fingerprints with US - The Register 3/4/09 +
The organisation, which gained full executive agency status on 1 April 2009, says in a business plan issued on the same day that it plans to work with the USA, Canada and Australia to "introduce a system of appropriate data protection arrangements for fingerprint checks and data sharing". This is intended to help identify and bar foreign criminals from entering the country, and is planned for "early 2009".
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/03/ukba_overseas_fingerprint_exchange/

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) )

NO2ID Newsletter RSS

NO2ID Newsletter 124

+ POLITICS MAY BE PARALYSED - BUT *POLICY* GOES ON +

What just happened?

+ German privacy video looks at retention of communications data +

+ ID Cards secondary legislation consultation response +

+ Southampton Students oppose ID scheme +

+ Lords warn of trouble ahead over DNA database plans +

What's next?

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

"ID" in the news

NO2ID Newsletter 123

+ VOTE OF THANKS +

What just happened?

+ Pilots to fight ID cards at Manchester Airport +

+ National Identity Cards Scheme Draft Orders laid before Parliament +

+ Even UK security firm criticises Manchester ID scheme 'launch' +

+ The hidden costs of ID cards +

+ Photo ID to visit Orkney? +

What's next?

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

"ID" in the news

NO2ID Newsletter 122

+ PROPAGANDA BY DEED +

What just happened?

+ Government dragging feet over DNA Database - time for a consultation! +

+ Reclaim Your DNA website launched +

+ Blunkett and the ID Card U-Turn that wasn't a U-Turn +

+ Latest ID scheme cost report shows cost increase +

+ Court prolongs German data access curbs +

+ Anti-ID card song +

What's next?

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

"ID" in the news

NO2ID Newsletter 121

+ JOIN NO2ID AND HELP US FIGHT THE DATABASE STATE +

What just happened?

+ Fear fuelling fear +

+ Lords debate regulation, collection and retention of personal data +

+ Fife council passes anti-ID scheme motion +

+ NO2ID Legal Group joins the debate +

What's next?

+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +

"ID" in the news

+ POLITICS MAY BE PARALYSED - BUT POLICY GOES ON +