[no2id-supporters] NO2ID Newsletter No.43

Thu Apr 13 16:29:53 BST 2006

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    NO2ID Supporters' Newsletter No. 43 - 13th April 2006

      NO2ID Local groups hit 100 but we still need more

We are pleased to announce that over one hundred NO2ID local groups have 
now been set-up around the country. Local groups are the key to getting 
the facts about ID cards and the National Identity Register to people at 
a grass roots level. Our groups have been holding public meetings, 
encouraging local councils to pass anti-ID motions, setting up street 
stalls, handing out leaflets and collecting signatures from Inverness to 
Torquay. What is more local groups were instrumental in delaying the ID 
bill as it moved through parliament, particularly the extraordinary five 
rejections by the House of Lords. Well done to all involved.

But we still need more groups particularly in Northern Ireland, South 
Wales, the Midlands and Lancashire. If you don't have a local group near 
you why not set one up. If there is one then get involved. More 
information about local groups can be found at 
(www.no2id.net/localGroups/index.php).

Since our last newsletter many of our supporters have been lobbying 
election candidates for the upcoming local elections on 4th May. Our 
Doncaster group have even managed to get our web address on Liberal 
Democrat candidates' leaflets. If you haven't contacted your local 
candidates yet please do. Ask them their position on ID cards and make 
it clear to them that you will never vote for a supporter of compulsory 
registration or ID cards.  ID cards are a local issue, the astronomical 
costs of implementing the scheme will be passed to councils who will be 
forced to increase council tax.

You can also find some local election resources (such as fliers and 
poster designs) on the NO2ID submissions forum 
(http://forum.no2id.net/viewforum.php?f=43 - you will need to register 
to access this forum).

And finally, next Tuesday (18th April) we'll be launching a new action 
at our volunteers meeting in London but don't worry if your not in 
London, we will be notifying our supporters across the UK after the meeting.

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      What's next?

        Youth against ID

Could anyone who responded to the plea for young NO2ID supporters to get 
in touch, please do so again. Unfortunately thanks to a technical hitch 
your details didn't get through. Anyone else who'd like to get involved, 
the doors are still open to you (as long as you're under say, 26). Send 
an email to guyt at no2id.net <mailto:guyt at no2id.net> or call 07956 681 
328. A small group of young activists got together last week and we're 
wanting to organise a larger but informal get-together to discuss a few 
ideas and potential strategies. Anyone else who's not getting this 
newsletter would be welcome along as well.

        Pennine Way sponsored walk continues

One of our supporters has kindly agreed to donate sponsorship income 
from his walk to the NO2ID campaign. You can follow Bob's progress and 
make a donation here: http://www.no2id.net/walkfree.php

        New local groups

We have new local groups in Farnham, Morden, Kingston-Upon-Thames, Bath, 
and Doncaster. To get involved with your local group drop and email to 
the group co-ordinator, a list of groups can be found at 
www.no2id.net/localGroups

        15th April Bristol No2ID stall & leafleting

Saturday 15th April, afternoon by fountains near waterfront. For more 
details contact Dave Gould at bristol at no2id.net 
<mailto:bristol at no2id.net>, or phone 07989 693646.

        18th April NO2ID Glasgow meeting

Tuesday 18th April, 7.30pm at Mono, Kings Court, off King Street near 
the Trongate.
Now that the Identity Cards Bill has become the Identity Cards Act 2006, 
we need to gather ideas on how to move forward as a campaign and to 
build a movement which will be able to resist the introduction of 
compulsory ID cards and registration on the National Identity Register 
in 2010. Everyone is very welcome to attend. Please bring your thinking 
caps. For more details contact glasgow at n2id.net or visit 
http://www.no2id-scotland.net/glasgow/

        18th April - NO2ID London Volunteers Meeting, Central London -
        Note new venue

Tuesday, 18th April 7.00pm at  Brockway Room in Conway Hall - which is 
in the north easterly corner of Red Lion Square, Holborn WC1 (nearest 
tube: Holborn). All are welcome to NO2ID's  next volunteers' meetings. 
The meeting will have a legal theme - Liz Norman, an immigration lawyer 
and member of NO2ID staff, will speak and we have invited along a number 
of other legal friends of the campaign. The meeting is free to attend 
but we will be asking for donations to help cover the cost of the room hire.

        20th April NO2ID Swindon Meeting

Thursday, 20th April 7.30pm at the Clifton Inn, Clifton Street (off 
Kingshill in Swindon). This will be the Swindon group's last meeting in 
April. Please come to collect your election packs. All welcome. for more 
details contact Lynda at swindon at no2id.net <mailto:swindon at no2id.net>

        21st April NO2ID Morden Planning Meeting

Friday, 21st April 7.00pm at the Princess of Wales pub, Morden Road (on 
the 93 bus route and 5 minutes from Croydon Tramlink Morden Road stop). 
The newly formed Morden group will holding their first planning meeting. 
For more information contact Mark Austin at morden at no2id.net 
<mailto:morden at no2id.net>

        26th April "Identity Cards: The Debate" - British Computer
        Society, Northampton Branch

Wednesday, 26th April 7.30pm at University of Northampton (Park Campus), 
Boughton Green Rd. The BCS will be holding "what should be a lively and 
informative session led by students from the University of Northampton". 
Refreshments provided. Both BCS members and non-members are welcome.
See http://northampton.bcs.org/events/2006/260406.asp for more details

        5th May - The ID card debate - seminar

Friday, 5th May from 7pm to 9pm at 89 Bickersteth Road, Tooting, London 
SW17. Organised by the Mauritian Lawyers Society. Free admission. 
Contact Salina Somanah on 020 8516 7730 or 07870 773 792 for more details.

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      What just happened?

        Web server appeal success

Many thanks to everyone who generously donated towards our new web 
server appeal. The new server is now up and running and helping us to 
deal with the ever expanding number of visitors.

        Lewisham NO2ID Launch "Heroes and Villains" website for Local
        Elections 

NO2ID Lewisham have launched a website to inform voters of candidates' 
opinions on compulsory ID cards and the National Identity Register. The 
"Heroes and Villains" website, which can be found at 
www.lewisham-no2id.org.uk, will clearly label every candidate standing 
in the local and mayoral elections on 4th May as either a hero or a 
villain, depending on their response to one simple question: "Do you 
support the the introduction of the National Identity Card and National 
Identity Register?".  This question has been sent in a personalised 
letter to every candidate. Richard Grainger of Lewisham NO2ID said "Over 
time it will become impossible to access Council services without 
registering your fingerprints and eye scans on the database and carrying 
a card.  Lewisham residents should show their displeasure at the 
Government's intention to nationalise their identities. They can do this 
by voting for the heroic candidates who oppose the scheme, whatever 
their political party". For information contact: lewisham at no2id.net 
<mailto:lewisham at no2id.net>

        NO2ID Edinburgh builds up its campaign

We may have lost the vote in parliament, but the campaign is really 
steaming ahead in Edinburgh.  As we build up our membership we have been 
able to institute a regular fortnightly stall on  Saturday afternoons at 
the east end of Princes Street. This is doing really well, and in due 
course we shall be making this a weekly  event. A member who is a 
professional graphics designer has produced  some really eye-catching 
displays for our stall, so that now even  passengers aboard the buses 
and cars which whiz past along Princes Street can be left in no doubt 
that Edinburgh does not want ID cards!  We also have a new gem of a 
website at: http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/  If you live in the 
Edinburgh area, why not contact us (edinburgh at no2id.net 
<mailto:edinburgh at no2id.net>) and get involved.

        New Agency - UKIPS - The UK Identity and Passport Service

On April fool's day the government established a new agency (UKIPS) to 
deal with passports and identity cards as they move towards their 
foolish ID card scheme. The new agency should not be confused with UK 
Investment Property Services (UKIPS) or the United Kingdom Investment 
Performance Standard (UKIPS) or the United Kingdom Independence 
Party(UKIP). Seems like they might have a bit of an identity crisis.
See http://www.ukips.gov.uk

        Transformational Government - Implementation Plan published

The government have now released a report detailing the implementation 
plan of their 'Transformational Government' strategy. The report has an 
introduction from Ian Watmore, ex-head of Accenture(formerly Andersen 
Consulting of the Enron scandal notoriety), now 'Head of the Prime 
Minister's Delivery Unit'. The report reveals that a study is under way 
by HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions "to 
look at the possibility of wider use of the National Insurance Number 
for indexing information held in public sector databases, whilst 
respecting confidentiality". The study is expected to report by 
November. Also there is another study "into the market for biometric 
identity systems" which will report this month
The report can be downloaded from 
www.cio.gov.uk/documents/pdf/transgov/transgovt.pdf

        Going Dutch? Where's your ID?

78,917 fines have been handed out in the Netherlands over the past 15 
months for failure to show ID, the research centre MDI reports. Although 
various forms of ID have existed in Holland for decades, showing them 
only became compulsory on 1 January 2005 - something that the Dutch had 
long been assured would never happen. Adjusted for population size, the 
Dutch figure is the equivalent of about 284,000 fines in the UK. Half of 
those fined have refused to pay and are being taken to court. The 
backlog of cases is continuing to build.

        Low-hanging fruit for identity thieves

A preview of the joys of having a single, widely-used National Identity 
Register Number for every UK resident - courtesy of South Korea, where 
everyone already has one, and they're suffering an epidemic of identity 
fraud as a result.
http://www.no2id.net/news/newsblog/?p=387
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      "ID" in the news

        Does the ID cards scheme have a 'self-destruct' button?

A Conservative MP has asked the government to reveal whether the planned 
ID card database will have a 'self-destruct' system which could be used 
in case of foreign invasion.
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39158041,00.htm

        Firms to pay for ID card checks - IT Week 10/4/06

The government confirmed last week that firms will have to pay if they 
want to use the national ID card system to carry out authentication 
checks -- though exact charges have yet to be set.
http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2153744/firms-pay-id-card-checks

        Database state : MPs warned of 'flaws' in NHS supercomputer -
        The Times 11/4/06

Leading academics called yesterday for a formal audit of the National 
Health Service's £6.2 billion IT scheme over fears that it is behind 
schedule, over budget and not secure.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2128169,00.html

        Drivers use address scam to cheat speed cameras - The Observer
        9/4/06

Rogue drivers are evading thousands of speeding tickets. The scam 
involves offenders registering their cars at one of a network of 
'mass-mailing' addresses used legitimately by businesses instead of at 
their own homes. A Home Office spokesman said the national identity 
register being introduced to back up planned ID cards would help.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1750138,00.html

        Blair's inner circle and its ferocious grab for power - The
        Guardian 6/4/06

The ID cards bill will allow the authorities unprecedented surveillance 
of our lives, and the power to curtail our ordinary activities by 
withdrawing that card.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1747669,00.html

        France : Launch of ePassports - timetable of introduction

The French Ministry for Internal Affairs has announced the imminent 
introduction of the first electronic passports in France. The new 
passports will be made available to French citizens progressively, 
depending on the administrative region in which they live.
http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/5477/194

        Switzerland to introduce first biometric passports in September

The Swiss Federal Council has adopted a regulation that will pave the 
way for the trial introduction of biometric passports. New 'Pass 06' 
passports, containing electronically-stored biometric data, will be 
offered as an alternative to the current 'Pass 03' passports in selected 
regions from 4 September 2006, when the regulation comes into force.
http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/5483/194

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - 
Editor(newsletter at no2id.net) )
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      What you can do

In the run up to the May local elections you can help us by:

        *1. Getting involved with your local group*

Organise leafleting, a stall or a public meeting to educate the public 
about the database that lies behind the ID card scheme.
See http://www.no2id.net/localGroups

        2. Writing to local elections candidates and your local paper

Now that the ID bill has passed into law it is essential that we keep 
compulsory registration of citizens on the National Identity Register in 
people's minds. The media debate is likely to mis-report the plastic 
card opt-out.

* We also maintain a list of things you can do on our website at 
http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/other.php
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Publication details: © 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
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