[no2id-supporters] NO2ID NEWSLETTER - SECOND READING BULLETIN

[no2id-supporters-admin at no2id.net]

NO2ID NEWSLETTER - SECOND READING BULLETIN - 23rd December 2004
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++ Identity Cards Bill Gets Second Reading

On Monday the Identity Cards Bill had its Second Reading. Parliament 
approved the bill in principle and it can now move forward to the next 
stages. No details of the bill were debated at this stage.

The vote does allow us to identify those MPs who support our cause. Before 
the debate NO2ID had sent briefing packs to over 100 interested MPs, but of 
a total of 651 MPs, 93 voted against the bill and 173 were absent or 
abstained, including several senior front-bench Conservatives. This shows 
that there is growing opposition to ID cards, and that there will be 
serious resistance in the Commons.

Several high profile Labour MPs also opposed the bill including Clare Short 
and Glenda Jackson, who last week called for a nationwide protest.

The Government is still trying to rush the bill through parliament before 
the next general election. An amendment was passed to speed the passage of 
the bill, so the next stage, the Committee Stage, has to finish by Thursday 
27th January 2005, and the Third Reading of the bill will only be allowed 
one day. However, the bill could meet stiffer opposition in the House of 
Lords and it is not a foregone conclusion
that it will be passed into law by February.

Things were not quite as plain sailing as Mr Clarke may have hoped. We 
intend to make things even bumpier in the new year. The real fight has not 
yet begun. NO2ID will continue to contest the Government's plans.

Hansard Transcript of Second Reading Debate
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2004-12-20.1943.0

Identity Cards Bill 2nd Reading Debate (available online until , online 
until 6/1/05) starts 02.39.20 into file
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Console.aspx?Encoding=2389

++ NO2ID Needs Your Help

If you care about protecting your civil liberties then sending money to our 
fighting fund is better value than paying £85 for the Government's ID card 
will ever be. As one member recently said :
"My ID card cost of £85.00 should be in your bank in the next couple of 
days. Sadly, that means I won't have enough money to buy one from the 
government."

If you have not yet joined NO2ID please do. Membership starts at just 
GBP15, and even a small standing order makes a big difference in the long 
run. How 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.

++ 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

For more details contact: Andrew Watson (cambridge at no2id.net)

+ New Groups Forming

We have now had the beginnings of local groups stirring in (amongst other 
places): Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Hull, Leeds, Newcastle, 
Newton Abbot Oxford, Peterborough, Reading, Rhyll, Sheffield, Sidcup, 
Staffordshire, Wigan, Woking, Worthing, York. We expect many more in the 
new year.

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, contact Guy Taylor 
(guyt at no2id.net) for campaigning advice.

In London local group volunteers should deal with Andrew Weston 
(london at no2id.net), and in Scotland, Trevor Mendham (scotland at no2id.net).

More regional coordinators will be appointed soon.  Otherwise you can
volunteer through: volunteer at no2id.net

++ Season's Greetings

A Merry Christmas to all of our members and supporters, and our hopes for a 
happy and ID card free 2005!

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Publication details: (c) NO2ID 2004 - This document may be freely
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NO2ID, Box No.412, 78 Marylebone High Street, LONDON W1U 5AP