[no2id-supporters] NO2ID NEWSLETTER No.15

Fri Feb 18 13:08:40 GMT 2005

NO2ID NEWSLETTER - Supporter's Newsletter No.15 - 17th February 2005
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+++ 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 let us know.)

++ IDENTITY CARDS BILL THIRD READING

The Identity Cards Bill passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons 
by 224 votes to 64 on Thursday, 10th February. Only 292 out of 659 MPs 
voted and only just over a third of the Commons voted in favour of the bill.

The bill was rushed through with very little debate thanks to the 
government's guillotine motion.

Several MPs commented on the lack of parliamentary time. David Winnick 
said: "It should not have been crowded in on a Thursday and there should 
have been far greater examination of the detail."

John Gummer described the lack of debate as "the abuse of this House on 
an important constitutional matter".

John Bercow said: "The Government say that identity cards are necessary. 
William Pitt, as long ago as 1783, said: 'Necessity is the plea for 
every infringement of human freedom: it is the argument of tyrants; it 
is the creed of slaves.'" Adding that "people in this country will turn 
against the proposal [...] and against the Home Secretary and he will 
richly deserve the hostility of the public when that happens".

The bill will now move on to the House of Lords where it is expected to 
meet much tougher opposition and a shortage of parliamentary time before 
the election may scupper its progress.

Hansard Transcript of 3rd Reading Debate 
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2005-02-10.1736.0

Watch the Identity Cards Bill: Report Stage (available online until 
24/2/05) 
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Console.aspx?Encoding=2739&StartAt=2005-02-10T13:29:05 
<http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Console.aspx?Encoding=2739&StartAt=2005-02-10T13:29:05>

Watch the Identity Cards Bill: Third Reading Debate (available online 
until 24/2/05) 
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Console.aspx?Encoding=2739&StartAt=2005-02-10T16:58:12 
<http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Console.aspx?Encoding=2739&StartAt=2005-02-10T16:58:12>

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++ What's Next?
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+ 19th February - DAY OF ACTION, Norwich

On Saturday February 19 NO2ID will be taking the campaign to the voters 
of the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke. Thousands of leaflets and 
stickers will be distributed in the city centre and then door to door in 
wards in Mr Clarke's Norwich South constituency. The Day of Voter 
Education will commence at 12 midday outside Norwich City Hall on St 
Peter's Street. By the end of the event thousands more voters, in what 
is expected to be a closely contested seat at the forthcoming election, 
will appreciate that their sitting MP is primarily to blame for costing 
them personally money, taking away taxpayers' money that could otherwise 
be used for public services, and removing civil liberties. The plan is 
to then take the campaign of voter education to other marginal seats 
where the sitting MP - regardless of party affiliation - supports ID cards.

In Norwich South, NO2ID will be joined by the local Liberal Democrat 
prospective candidate (and main challenger to Charles Clarke), Adrian 
Aalders-Dunthorne, and his team of supporters as well as by the local 
Green party, who will also be contesting the seat.

Liberal Party president and Liverpool councillor, Steve Radford, who was 
instrumental in getting his council also to pass a resolution condemning 
identity cards, will also be attending with party members. The UK 
Independence party, which is affiliated to NO2ID nationally has been 
invited to participate in the action.

+ 21st February – CHURCHILL VIGIL

53rd Anniversary of the abolition of identity cards in the UK

On 21st February 1952, as part of Churchill's "bonfire of controls", the 
government abolished national identity cards with much support from the 
population. Only fifty years later we see that the lessons of the past 
have been forgotten by a government apparently
obsessed with modernisation.

NO2ID will be holding an hour’s vigil on Monday morning at Churchill’s 
statue in Parliament Square, beginning at 11 am, to commemorate his good 
sense on ID cards, and mourn the impending loss of the civil liberties 
he fought to preserve. Please join us, if you can. Dress is formal and 
sombre, as for a funeral.

+ MORE LOCAL GROUPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Local groups are an essential part of our campaign and there are NO2ID 
groups all around the country. We have new groups in Hounslow, Leyton, 
Sydenham, Hackney and Stratford in London, in Milton Keynes, Luton, 
Tonbridge and Burnley.

Please get in touch with your local group if you can them help out. If 
you'd like to start your own and become local contact for your town, you 
should be a member and be prepared to be contacted by supporters and 
local journalists.

For a list of local groups and contacts see http://www.no2id.net/localGroups

+ Coming soon - COMEDY EVENT

Well-known stand-up and NO2ID volunteer Ben Norris is rallying his 
friends on the London comedy circuit, and we hope to arrange one or more 
benefit events shortly.

+ NO2ID Campaign Office - Call For Volunteers

If you live in London and have a few hours to spare during the week 
please volunteer to join the staff rota helping with the vital clerical 
work to support the campaign. People with some admin background or 
research skills are sorely needed to help us handle our paperwork and 
build up our contact base in the run up to the Lords debate and the 
general election. (volunteer at no2id.net)

If you can't spare time, please help us with running costs. The rent in 
the short-term is kindly underwritten by the Joseph Rowntree Reform 
Trust Ltd, but to make the office work for us means constant lobbying by 
mail and by phone. Please support us with a donation.

You can get a membership/standing order donation form at
www.no2id.net/content/join.html.
To donate by PayPal or bank transfer, see
www.no2id.net/content/donate.html.

++ What Just Happened?
---------------------

+ NO2ID LOCAL GROUPS TRAINING DAY - 12th FEBRUARY

NO2ID held its first training day for local groups on Saturday (12th 
February). The event was organised for local group activists from around 
the country to share their important skills. Their (your) work is key to 
taking the dangers of ID cards and the identity register to the public 
in towns and cities across the UK.

Guy Taylor, local group coordinator, spoke about starting, running and 
keeping a local group going. Guy is an experienced issues campaigner, 
having notched up many years of tireless flyering in wet and windy 
shopping centres.

Other areas covered included motivation, lobbying and communications. As 
one attendee reported, asking attendees to practice articulating one 
point of the campaign message "helped to clarify issues and raise 
confidence".

+ TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE, MINISTER

Charles Clarke's response to the Joint Committe on Human Rights' report 
was lodged too late to be read by MPs in time for the Third Reading. It 
also fails to address most of the Committee's specific concerns 
regarding the necessity and proportionality of each item of data likely 
to be held on the National Identity Register. It dodges many questions 
by simply asserting that any problems will be dealt with in the 
secondary legislation used to implement the scheme.

In fact, the Home Secretary makes no bones about the fact that the ID 
cards Bill is a piece of enabling legislation - awarding him powers to 
decide later how to bring the scheme into operation. This would include 
an unprecedented level of cross-checking with other databases, both 
public and private.

Mr Clarke also offers the role of National Identity Scheme Commissioner 
as providing sufficient oversight, despite the fact that the 
Commissioner will report to the Home Secretary himself and not to 
Parliament - a crucial distinction.

+ ID BILL - LOBBYING LORDS

As the Identity Cards Bill heads towards the House of Lords NO2ID has 
begun lobbying Peers. It is expected that the Lords will be far more 
receptive to lobbying and less likely to grant the bill an easy passage. 
We will be pressing the Lords to reject this illiberal and costly bill.

+ NO2ID FANTASY MP

As well as our list of MPs's positions on our own website, the NO2ID 
'Dream MP' on the Public Whip website has been updated to reflect the 
Third Reading of the Identity Cards Bill. Dream MPs are fictional MPs 
that can be added to the site, together with their dream votes (voting 
as we would like them to). This allows real MPs to be compared to the 
Dream MP, so that they can be given an agreement score.

See http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/dreammp.php?id=230

+ DOUBLE WHAMMY

No Common Law country has ID cards, the two try to introduce them at once

The US House of Representatives voted in favour of its own ID card bill 
last Thursday, on the same day as our House of Commons. The REAL ID Act 
(HR 418) passed by 261 votes to 161. The bill now moves to their second 
chamber the Senate.

Ron Paul, representative for the 14th District of Texas writing in his 
'Texas Straight Talk' newsletter said: "A national ID card offers us 
nothing more than a false sense of security, while moving us ever closer 
to a police state".

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have urged the Senate to 
reject the bill. In a press release they said the legislation "would 
make it more difficult to seek asylum, lay the foundation for a national 
ID card and chill free speech in America".

See http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=17455&c=206 
<http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=17455&c=206>

+ E-PETITION STILL OPEN

The petition continues to help us reach more supporters and let more 
people express their views on ID cards. If you would like to collect 
paper signatures in your area, please let Guy 
Taylor(local.groups at no2id.net) know.

Please continue to encourage people to sign the petition at
www.no2id-petition.net

-----------------------------

++ "ID" In the News

---------------------

MPs voice concerns after passing ID cards bill - Computing
MPs at last week's debate expressed concerns that the plan - with what 
Conservative MP Humfrey Malins described as 'huge constitutional and 
civil liberties implications' - was being rushed through.
http://www.computing.co.uk/news/1161293

No time for ID cards before May election - Evening Standard
The Standard says that ministers are set to abandon attempts to force 
the identity cards plan into law before the election.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/16537855?source=Evening%20Standard

How Blair high tech 'security' pledge will fix the wrong problem - The 
Register
ID cards have made it onto the Labour Party's election pledge cards as a 
late addition, with the planned five pledges becoming six as Labour's 
response to the Tories' making immigration an election issue.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/14/blair_security_pledge/

CCTV could be matched to ID data - Computer Weekly
Police could be given access to biometric photographs of the population 
to perform automatic matches against CCTV footage of suspected 
criminals, it emerged last week as MPs debated the ID Cards Bill.
http://www.computerweekly.com/articles/article.asp?liArticleID=136743&liFlavourID=1 
<http://www.computerweekly.com/articles/article.asp?liArticleID=136743&liFlavourID=1>

ID card plans are too complex and too expensive, government is told - 
Computer Weekly
Government plans for a national ID card scheme, voted through in the 
House of Commons last week, are too complex and too expensive, former 
government research organisation Qinetiq has warned.
http://tinyurl.co.uk/cfyn (computerweekly.com)

Standardisation issues in biometrics - IT Analysis
The European BioSec consortium is working on developing a number of 
standards for biometric technologies in cooperation with a number of 
other standards bodies worldwide.
http://www.it-analysis.com/article.php?articleid=12568

US moves closer to electronic ID cards - Silicon.com
Vital to fight terrorism or a national ID card by the back door? A look 
at the issues surrounding the US's REAL ID Act.
http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,39127795,00.htm

Social barriers to the take up of biometrics - IT Director
Although the use of biometrics is being imposed on citizens around the 
world for travel and immigration schemes, many citizens fear that 
biometrics could be used to compile dossiers about them, their habits 
and their lives.
http://www.it-director.com/article.php?id=12572&msu=rss 
<http://www.it-director.com/article.php?id=12572&msu=rss>

'The Lawyer' - Opinion Column
Government must address questions of clarity and responsibility before 
ID cards will be accepted
http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=114058&d=122&h=24&f=46 
<http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=114058&d=122&h=24&f=46>

Ihre Papieren Bitte! - Revolts.co.uk
The later stages of the Identity Cards Bill, held on 10 February 2005, 
witnessed three modest Labour rebellions along with two fairly large 
Conservative backbench revolts. This short briefing paper (pdf, 90k) 
describes the rebellions and identifies the rebels.
http://www.revolts.co.uk/Ihre%20Papieren%20Bitte.pdf

(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, but it would be handy to have reliable people to answer the 
phone. 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 (local.groups 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 to) the website to help you do this.

7. Write to your MP and MEP.
Express your disquiet and ask for *their personal* opinion on specific 
issues. (Big-party MPs in particular sometimes avoid controversial 
matter, or may offer a standard statement of general party policy rather 
than answering for themselves.) FaxYourMP.com is a free and confidential 
way to get an answer.

8. Contact your Councillor.
Ask questions about the costs for the council, and the effect on council 
services and the police precept.

9. 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 
<http://www.cashncarrion.co.uk/cnb/shop/cashncarrion?listPos=&op=catalogue-products-null&prodCategory>ID=28 

10. Join.
Membership starts at GBP15 a year (higher contributions encouraged, and 
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

11. Give generously.
A few weeks back we had no money. Now we have a little money, but we are 
starting to spend it fast, and 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 
(general.secretary at no2id.net). Help in kind is equally welcome.

12. 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 can't find what you need on the website...

General enquiries to: enquiries at no2id.net

Press enquiries *only* to: press at no2id.net

+ If you have specific assistance or information to offer, you can

contact the following NO2ID people:

Volunteer Staff:-

National Coordinator - Phil Booth (national.coordinator at no2id.net)

Administration
General Secretary - Guy Herbert (general.secretary at no2id.net)
Newsletter Editor - Charles Farrier (newsletter at no2id.net)
Technical Manager - Owen Blacker (technical.manager at no2id.net)
Office Staff - (office at no2id.net)

Communications
Head of Campaigns - Andy Robson (campaigns at no2id.net)
Press Officer - Michael Parker (press.officer at no2id.net)
Public Affairs - Dave Walker (public.affairs at no2id.net)
Parliamentary Liaison - Rachael Marsh (parliamentary.liaison at no2id.net)
Events Manager Cassandra Rae (events at no2id.net)

Development
National Secretary - Adam McGreggor (national.secretary at no2id.net)
Local Group Coordinator - Guy Taylor (local.groups at no2id.net)

Research
Head of Research - Ian Brown (research at no2id.net)

Regional Coordinators
London - Andrew Weston (london at no2id.net)
Scotland - Trevor Mendham (scotland at no2id.net)

+ Please, please remember that everybody on this list is a volunteer, 
and all 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 2005 - 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