[no2id-supporters] NO2ID Supporter's Newsletter No.11
no2id-supporters-admin at no2id.net
no2id-supporters-admin at no2id.net
Fri Dec 17 13:29:43 GMT 2004
NO2ID NEWSLETTER - Supporter's Newsletter No.11 - 16th December 2004
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+++ Identity Cards Bill 2nd Reading Monday 20th December - Still Time To
Lobby MPs
The second reading of the Identity Cards Bill is on Monday (20th
December). We urgently call on all supporters to contact their MPs,
Councillors, AMs and MSPs to make them aware of your concerns and to point
out that ID cards are not a popular measure, despite what a number of them
believe. If you get a response then please pass on details of their
position to our Parliamentary Liaison, Dave Walker (dave at no2id.net).
List of MSPs - http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/index.htm
List of AMs - http://www.wales.gov.uk/who/constit_e.htm
Fax Westminster MPs - http://www.faxyourmp.com/
+++ Stop ID-cards and the database state
This is the latest email newsletter to keep you informed about the campaign
against the Home Office's plans to fingerprint and track the entire
population of Britain for its National Identity Register. As soon as
practicable the NO2ID Newsletter will also be produced in printed form to
let us reach people without email. Meanwhile, if you want to forward this
email to friends or print and distribute hard copies, then we have no
objections.
You've been sent this (if you are a first hand recipient) because we
believe you registered as a supporter of the campaign. If not, or if you
just don't want the newsletter, let us know and please accept our
apologies. We don't want to spam anyone.
(Equally, if you were a supporter in the past, but have now decided that
you do want yourself and your family to be tagged like cattle at huge and
unnecessary expense, please do tell us.)
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++ 2nd Reading of ID Card Bill Imminent
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+ Tories Stand Alone In Support Of Government
On Monday the Conservative Party announced that it will support the
government's Identity Cards Bill which has its second reading on Monday
(20th December). The announcement followed what was described as a "tough
meeting" of the shadow cabinet. The Tories are now the only significant
political party that supports the Government on this issue. The Liberal
Democrats, the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the Green Party, Respect and the UK
Independence Party are all opposed to ID cards.
The decision was forced through by the party leader Michael Howard, who
personally is in favour. (He tried to introduce ID cards when he was Home
Secretary.) However, many Conservative MPs are bitterly opposed to ID
cards on the grounds that they would be a huge bureaucratic enlargement of
the State, bog the police down in administration, be an enormous expense
and constitute an attack on the freedoms of law-abiding citizens.
There is talk of a Tory split over this issue, which could shatter the
party and allow the Liberal Democrats to move ahead of them in the polls.
If this authoritarian bill gets through parliament it may well be because
Mr Howard decided to let it. The Conservatives will share the blame if ID
Cards are introduced and they are (as we predict) a disaster.
+ Election Strategy
It seems that Howard did not want the Conservatives to appear soft on crime
when compared to the Labour party at the upcoming general election. We beg
to differ.
What the Conservatives should have done is to point out that what the
government is proposing is not a simple plastic card as most people
believe, but a centralised database of information on every citizen, which
via each individual's National Identity Register Number will allow all
government and even some private sector databases to be linked together
(including medical records). That every use of the card will be recorded in
a database, thus creating a dossier on every citizen in the UK. That the
system relies on un-tested un-proven technology. That the government's
claim that we must add biometrics to our passports anyway so we may as well
have an ID card is a lie. (International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
standards only require that the passport photo be digitised). That
government IT projects are constantly mired in delays, overspend, function
creep and failure. That for the same cost it would be possible to pay for
10,000 new police.
These facts will reach the UK population eventually. The Conservatives
could have been a leading messenger that this is a bad scheme.
+ Police Position
Conservative Central Office now issues a standard letter to all enquirers
suggesting that the police think ID cards will help in the fight against
crime and terrorism, and Mr Howard’s views are supported by the
police. This is weak spin.
The Metropolitan Police in their written evidence to the Home Affairs
Committee said, "We have seen no evidence either here, or in previous
debates, that suggests the introduction of an identity card will in itself
lead to a reduction in crime or an increase in detection rates."
Paul Whitehouse, former Chief Constable of Sussex Police, speaking in May,
suggested that ID Cards could actually cause terrorism: "[I]f you keep
driving the state into the all-powerful position, when you look around the
world, that's what happens next." A view echoed this
week by Guy Mansfield QC, new chairman of the Bar Council who warned that
as a result of measures such as ID Cards, "There is a real risk that the
disaffected and people on the margins of society
will be driven into the hands of extremists".
The anonymous author of the Policeman's Blog stated in September that, "the
only positive thing to come out of ID cards will be a few extra jobs in
offices in my police station." http://coppersblog.blogspot.com/
+ Both Cabinets Split - Whips Out
Both the Labour and Conservative front benches are now split over ID cards.
Conservative MPs will be expected to vote for the Identity Cards Bill at
the bill's second reading on Monday. In an attempt to head off a split
several Shadow Cabinet members have been excused from the vote and the
party will use a two-line whip. It is disgraceful that the two leading
political parties are intending to use the party whip to force through a
bill, that unannounced so fundamentally changes the relationship between
the state and the individual.
It is the job of politicians to properly scrutinise proposed legislation,
not pander to opinion polls for the sake of short term electoral gain. The
vast majority of the UK public has not read,
nor will ever read the Identity Cards Bill or the associated impact
reports, let alone the huge body of research into ID cards. The true
horrors of such a scheme would only become apparent to them once the system
was in place.
We need to get the message out and increase our numbers. Please spread the
word and encourage people to join NO2ID.
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++ What Just Happened?
---------------------
+ David Blunkett Resigns - Replacement Charles Clarke Backs ID Cards
On Wednesday Home Secretary David Blunkett resigned from the government. He
was replaced by Charles Clarke. Minister for Education. No sooner was
Clarke appointed than he publicly expressed his support for the
government's ID card scheme, though he did indicate that he may be willing
to debate details of their implementation. We shall have to wait and see
whether he drives the Home Office agenda with the same zeal as Blunkett.
It has been generally believed before now that Clarke personally is not a
supporter of ID cards. On Monday it is possible that both the Home
Secretary and shadow Home Secretary will speak in parliament in support of
a policy that they privately oppose.
+ Reform/ICM ID Cards Poll
Last week Reform, the centre right think tank, released the results of an
ICM poll they had commissioned on ID cards. 1022 people were interviewed by
telephone. The headline figure of 81% support may have helped persuade the
Conservative party to support the government.
However, deeper analysis of the results shows that public opinion is very
vague. Only 18% would be willing to pay £30 or more for the card, though
strangely 68% still think they're a good idea when told that the current
predicted cost is £35 or £85 if combined with a passport. 46% thought the
£5.5 billion that would be
better used to fight crime in other ways.
Andrew Haldenby, Director of Policy at Reform, commented on the poll on
Radio 4's Today programme. He said, "All of the issues that the government
say we need ID cards for ... can all actually be solved by measures other
than ID Cards which in many cases are less costly and less bureaucratic."
See
http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2004/Reform%20-%20ID%20cards/reform-id-cards-dec-04.asp
+ E-Petition Still Open
We have decided to keep the petition open to help us reach more supporters.
The "official" petition is now listed on the cabinet office website,
together with an indication that a response will be posted "in due course".
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page297.asp
Please continue to encourage people to sign the petition at
http://www.no2id-petition.net/
+ National Identity Register - Police Access To Fingerprints
Many of the horrors of the governments ID card proposals can be found in
the Regulatory Impact Assessment that was released alongside the Identity
Cards Bill. One such horror is described on page 14, where it states: "It
would be possible for the police to run checks of this information against
the National Identity Register to identify possible suspects in unsolved
cases. This would have broader applications than terrorism."
In other words if your fingerprints, or some fingerprints sufficiently like
yours for a partial match, are at a crime scene then you will be a suspect.
Police and security experts have expressed concerns about the risk of false
matches.
See http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs3/ria_251104.pdf
+ EU Biometric Passports - UK Excluded From Regulation
There is yet more evidence that the government is not being honest when it
comes to their insistence that we have to add multiple biometric
identifiers to our passports. The EU General Affairs Council adopted a
regulation on mandatory facial images and fingerprints in EU passports at
its meeting in Brussels on 13 December 2004.
The UK government is excluded from taking part in the adoption of the
Regulation because it is not a signatory to the Schengen Agreements on
border controls.
See http://www.statewatch.org/news/index.html
+ Multiple Biometrics Can Reduce Accuracy
The government likes to pretend that biometrics are magic technology that
will make its ID proposals workable where all others have failed. When
challenged on the accuracy of checking iris or facial scans and
fingerprints, it reassures us that their system uses multiple
biometrics--implicitly assuming this will increase accuracy.
Not so, says the inventor of iris recognition algorithms, John Daugman OBE
of Cambridge University. He has proved that when two
biometric tests are combined "one of the resulting error rates (False
Accept or False Reject rate) becomes better than that of the stronger of
the two tests, while the other error rate becomes worse even than that of
the weaker of the tests."
See http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/jgd1000/combine/combine.html
+ The 1952 Committee
Pro-Tory bloggers who have decided not to vote Tory because of their
support for ID cards have joined together to form The 1952 Committee, so
called because this was the year in which the Churchill government ended
post-war ID cards.
See http://www.theenglandproject.net/mt/archives/000821.html
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++ What's Next?
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+ Local Groups
+ 25th January - NO2ID Public Meeting Cambridge
Tuesday 25th January 7:30pm at Fisher Hall, Guildhall Place, Cambridge.
Speakers are to include:
Peter Lilley, MP for Hitchen
Ross Anderson, Professor of Security Engineering, University of Cambridge
David Howarth, prospective Liberal Democrat candidate for Cambridge
There are plans to get things going in (amongst other places): Bristol,
Cardiff, Carlisle, Newcastle, Oxford, Peterborough, Reading, Rhyll
,Sheffield ,Sidcup, Staffordshire, Woking, Worthing,
York.
If you live in or near any of those places, help would be much appreciated.
If you don't, why not make that list grow a little bit? We have no time to
lose.
If you'd like to discuss organising up a group, holding a meeting or
otherwise getting the campaign moving where you are, you can
volunteer through: volunteer at no2id.net
In London local group volunteers should contact Andrew
Weston (london at no2id.net) and in Scotland, Trevor Mendham
(scotland at no2id.net).
Contact Guy Taylor (guyt at no2id.net) for detailed campaigning advice.
+ Request for Volunteers
We need volunteers to work in all areas of the campaign, and all areas of
the country, as things are moving fast, and we are growing fast. Press
experience, print/production background, DTP
facilities, research and writing skills are all at a premium. Security
consultants who can explain the weaknesses of the Government proposals
would be warmly welcomed. But we also need willing
general helpers and people to organise local groups: Everyone can assist
in some way if they want to. See below for more things you can do. To
volunteer, contact volunteer at no2id.net
+ NO2ID Needs Funds for lobbying, too
The battle has only just begun and we need funds to help build on the
success we've had so far.
We will shortly need to mail briefing documents to the House of Lords. It
could cost 500 pounds in postage alone.
If you have not yet joined NO2ID please do. If you have already, please
introduce a friend.
Membership starts at 15 pounds, and even a small standing order makes a big
difference in the long run. How much do you value your freedom and privacy?
You can get a membership form at
www.no2id.net/content/join.html
You can also make a donation by PayPal or bank transfer, see
www.no2id.net/content/donate.html.
+ Coming soon - Fundraising Event in London
Find out what an extraordinarily diverse range of ideas NO2ID people have.
And raise funds for the battle ahead. Details will depend on how much
interest there is. Contact our events manager, Cassandra Rae
(cassandra at no2id.net) if you would like to know more.
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++ "ID" In the News
---------------------
Clarke takes charge of Blunkett's Fear Agenda The Register
Analysis of Blunkett's resignation
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/16/blunkett_resigns/
Dead Card Daily Mirror
The Top Tories set to rebel over ID cards.
http://tinyurl.co.uk/sxm8
Conservatives give in-principle backing to ID Cards Bill Public Technology
http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2232
Kennedy warns of identity crisis E-Politix
Charles Kennedy concerned about likelihood of IT failure
http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/200412/0342e8d1-fa2f-467e-9e26-29fd50391120.htm
Entire population to be suspects in ID card fingerprint scheme Computer Weekly
“The alarm is sounded over plans to widen police access to information”
http://tinyurl.co.uk/esoo
Think tank survey claims 81% support UK ID cards The Register
John Lettice deconstructs Reform's ID card poll results
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/08/reform_id_survey/
Earn Loyalty Points on Your Blunkett Card
A national identity card won't be able to offer the bold solution promised
by the government,
perhaps it should be named a Blunkett card.
http://www.zentelligence.equology.com/html/newsarticle.asp?nid=4914
ID card database to support a public service delivery agenda
Masons Pinsent solicitors analyse the Bill
http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?page_id=idcarddatabaseto1102340874&area=news
All is revealed on identity cards The Guardian
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1367338,00.html
The Digital Person Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier explores the proliferation of databases.
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2004/12/the_digital_per.html
Lord Butler Attacks the Government - Scotsman
Benefits would not justify the cost
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3862949
(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor)
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++ What You Can Do
-------------------
Like any campaign we need funds and people. Any help or expertise of any
kind you can spare will be most welcome. Most important is to get other
people involved and to understand the issues. ID CARDS sound innocent: what
the government wants is ID CONTROL. When people know that they (and their
children) may be fingerprinted like criminals and will be made to register
every change of address with the authorities, their attitude changes. So:-
1. Tell your friends about the campaign and that you are supporting
it. Most people are scarcely aware of the government's ID database
project, and few understand the dangers. Feel free to redistribute this
newsletter to acquaintances. (But please do introduce it personally and
don't spam.) Your personal witness will help others understand that this is
important.
2. Sign the Petition and get your friends and (adult) family to do so.
http://www.no2id-petition.net/
3. Let us know if you have time or special expertise that you can give to
the organisation or facilities you can lend us. The campaign is getting
bigger, but needs to grow some more. Fast. We urgently need any assistance
you can offer. We can use any amount of professional creative and marketing
expertise as we begin to lift public awareness of the issues. We are also
looking for cheap office space in Central London/Westminster. Volunteer
at: volunteer at no2id.net
4. Get together with others in your area to form a local group. A national
campaign needs a national network. Experienced campaigner Guy Taylor
(guy at no2id.net) is available to help local groups build our nationwide
presence. Guy can tell you how to hold a public meeting, set out your stall
locally (literally as well as metaphorically), and how to get other people
involved. If you have experience of local campaigns then by all means just
start -- we will offer what help we can. Details of forthcoming meetings,
when we have them, are posted on the website.
5. Raise the issue for discussion in any organisations you belong to.
Everyone is affected in some way. Encourage any club, union or other
group you are in that opposes ID control to become a supporter or affiliate
itself.
6. Write to the local and national press, to express your concerns whenever
there is relevant news. Phone-in to appropriate radio and TV programs.
There is plenty of information on (and linked from) the website to help you
do this.
7. Write to your MP and MEP expressing your disquiet and ask for their
personal opinion. (Big-party MPs in particular sometimes avoid
controversial issues, or may pass on your letter to the Home Office rather
than answering for themselves.) Let us know what they say.
FaxYourMP.com is a free and confidential way to do it.
8. Buy a T-shirt, and wear it. This publicises the message--people will ask
you what it means--and raises funds. Details on the NO2ID website.
Or buy online at:
http://www.ntkmart.co.uk/ntkmart.cgi#No2ID
or
http://www.cashncarrion.co.uk/cnb/shop/cashncarrion?listPos=&op=catalogue-products-null&prodCategory
ID=28
9. Join. Membership starts at GBP15 a year (higher contributions
encouraged--a modest standing order means a lot to us). It entitles you to
a say in the running of NO2ID. There is a membership form on the website at
www.no2id.net/content/join.html
10. Give generously. A few weeks back we had no money. Now we have a little
money, but we will always need more. The Home Office is planning to spend
billions. But we will spend your money better.
Funds can be transferred to our HSBC Treasurer Account in the name of
NO2ID
A/c no: 91339427
Sort Code 40-28-15
You can send a cheque, payable to "NO2ID" to: NO2ID, Box 412, 78 Marylebone
High Street, LONDON W1U 5AP.
Special donation or sponsorship enquiries should be made to Guy Herbert
(guyh at no2id.net). Help in kind is equally welcome.
11. Link to us. Help us gather support on through the web by displaying a
button or banner (available on the website) on your own home site or blog
and linking to us.
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++ NO2ID Who's Who and Resources
-----------------------------
First port of call should be the website:
http://www.no2id.net/
+ If you have specific assistance or information to offer, you can
contact one of the following NO2ID people:
Chair - Simon Davies (simon at no2id.net)
National Coordinator - Phil Booth (phil at no2id.net)
Administration
General Secretary - Guy Herbert (guyh at no2id.net)
Newsletter Editor - Charles Farrier (newsletter at no2id.net)
Technical Manager - Owen Blacker (owen at no2id.net)
Communications
Head of Campaigns - Andy Robson (andy at no2id.net)
Public Affairs and Parliamentary Liaison - Dave Walker (dave at no2id.net)
Events Manager - Cassandra Rae (cassandra at no2id.net)
Development
National Secretary - Adam McGreggor (adam at no2id.net)
Local Group Coordinator - Guy Taylor (guy at no2id.net)
Regional Coordinators
London - Simon Weston (london at no2id.net)
Scotland - Trevor Mendham (scotland at no2id.net)
+ Please, please remember that everybody on this list will be getting a
huge amount of email, so you should only direct enquiries to the relevant
person. We are grateful for all offers of help, but can't guarantee to have
time to give detailed answers to individual general queries on the ID
scheme. There is a lot of information on the website and there will soon
be much, much more.
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Publication details: (c) NO2ID 2004 - This document may be freely
redistributed in one-to-one communications or physical copies as long as it
is reproduced in its entirety including this notice. It may not be
mass-mailed without the prior permission of NO2ID.
NO2ID, Box No.412, 78 Marylebone High Street, LONDON W1U 5AP
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