[no2id-supporters] NO2ID Newsletter No.61

Fri Dec 22 12:44:35 GMT 2006

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    NO2ID logo
    NO2ID Supporters' Newsletter No. 61 - 22nd December 2006

*Contacting us:* Call or email the office - 020-7793-4005 or 
(office at no2id.net). Please do not reply to this email. (The from address 
is the not a working email address)

      *Message from NO2ID's National Coordinator*

Thank you all for your continued support and phenomenal effort during 
what has been a year of highs and lows for the campaign.

We are now, of course, fighting a bad law - the Identity Cards Act 
2006.  But the scheme behind the Act is going nowhere fast.  Still no 
sign of any tender documents, and 2008 is only just over 12 months away 
- the government's political timetable is a mess.  The "new, clean 
database" promised by David Blunkett is to be replaced by parking tens 
of millions of people's personal, private information on multiple 
creaking systems and "data-sharing" - a recipe for disaster. 

The fight goes on.

There is not enough space to thank individually every volunteer, group 
coordinator, member of NO2ID staff (all giving freely of their time) and 
supporter who has contributed to the campaign over the last 12 months 
but I am going to take the time to thank a man who many of you already 
know.  Guy Herbert, NO2ID's General Secretary, is - in my opinion - a 
national hero.  Without his tireless efforts, NO2ID would not be the 
organisation that it is today and our battle against the database state 
would not have been fought as intelligently and effectively as it quite 
clearly has.  Thank you, Guy.

I wish you and your families a peaceful and ID-free Christmas, and look 
forward to what promises to be a critical year for freedom and privacy 
in the UK.

Phil Booth
National Coordinator, NO2ID

      _Review of the Year_

2006 has been an eventful year for NO2ID.  We head into 2007 with 
www.NO2ID.net named as one of the Top 5 "most useful" political websites 
by the Guardian, in such hallowed company as theyworkforyou.com and 
publicwhip.org.uk;  30,000 strong (and more besides) with over 100 
active groups spread across every nation of the UK, and dozens of 
councils on our side;  and with an ID scheme in disarray - but, like a 
wounded beast, more dangerous than ever.

Here's a reminder of just a few key moments of 2006, with the odd hint 
about what you can do to help stop ID cards and the database state in 
the New Year:

*January*

The knives were out in the Lords as the Identity Cards Bill entered its 
Report Stage.  Staunch supporter of NO2ID, Lord Stoddart, conducted a 
straw poll in Swindon: "...of 400 people contacted, EIGHT were in favour 
of ID cards, and of those eight, six were uninformed about the National 
Identity Register.  When they found out about it, they changed their 
minds."  Friday 13th was unlucky for Tony Blair, when NO2ID group 
coordinator Melanie stormed down from  Inverness to present Number 10 
with a "free vote from the Highlands", showing a clear 70:30 split 
against ID cards.

Why not download our petition form - 
http://www.no2id.net/downloads/forms/NO2ID%20Petition.pdf - and see what 
people think near YOU?  Please send all completed forms to the office 
address (on the form).  The record for a single supporter is over 150 
signatures... so far.

*February*

NO2ID protested outside Parliament on the day of crucial Commons vote on 
key cost and compulsion amendments by the Lords.  Supporters lobbied 
both MPs and peers as the weird 'sport' of parliamentary ping-pong 
began.  Proving just how bad the Home Office is at figures, the National 
Audit Office refused to sign off its accounts.  NO2ID's 'Action Day' of 
workshops helped local groups and supporters in dealing with media, 
organising public meetings and lobbying representatives.

If you haven't done so before, why not tell your MP what you think of 
the ID scheme? Use http://www.writetothem.com/ to send a fax for free, 
after checking out his or her voting record at the bottom of our 'Public 
figures' page: http://www.no2id.net/about/mp_supporters.php

*March*

In an attempt to improve direct public communication with the House of 
Lords, NO2ID launched an online tool for lobbying peers.  Parliamentary 
ping-pong equalled the record number of 'bounces' - making the Bill one 
of the most controversial measures to be introduced by the government 
since 1997.  Local groups were already busy fighting the campaign on the 
streets and in the local media, so when March ended with the Bill 
passing and becoming the Identity Cards Act 2006, we were able to target 
the May local elections, highlighting local aspects of the ID scheme.

In this first quarter alone, Warwick, Durham, Newcastle, Swindon and 
North Wiltshire councils passed motions against ID cards.  Whether your 
MP is pro- or anti-ID, why not lobby your council?  It represents you 
too.  More information, including model motions at 
http://www.no2id.net/resources/motions/ (NO2ID recommends you do this as 
part of a local group).

*April*

Hardy supporter Bob walked from the Scottish Borders to Derbyshire to 
raise money for NO2ID and, in his own words, help stop the "abrupt and 
total obliteration of the quiet anonymity which we have  cherished for 
so long."  NO2ID established its 100th local group in Leek, 
Staffordshire - hello, Laura!  The UK Identity and Passport Service 
(UKIPS) was formed and immediately had an identity crisis as its five 
letter mnemonic collides with both the UK Independence Party and the 
United Kingdom Investment Performance Standard.  NO2ID marked the moment 
with the aid of a clown and a giant passport.

Campaigning costs money.  We desperately need your support.  Our cramped 
office and mailing operation is funded entirely by regular givers but we 
need many, many more.  Please make a donation or, preferably, set up a 
regular payment - we've made it even easier than before: 
http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/join.php

*May*

May was 'Renew for Freedom' month.  The launch brought together a 
diverse range of organisations including political parties, privacy and 
civil liberties groups and some of the largest campaigning bodies in the 
country.  Answers to Parliamentary Questions asked later in the year 
indicate that over 50,000 more people renewed in May 2006 than in 
previous years.  We spiked 'em :)

It's quite simple really.  If you haven't done so already, and it's due 
to expire in the next 5-7 years, renew your passport to avoid compulsory 
Registration on the ID scheme for up to 10 years.  
http://www.renewforfreedom.org/  The first interrogation centres open 
their doors in spring 2007...

*June*

By the middle of the year, after the peak of activity in the spring, we 
were still registering 500 new supporters each month.  NO2ID was chosen 
as one of 8 campaigns to be featured in 'Activ8', a BBC Action 
Network/Community Channel project.  "Local" groups went international 
with the formation of NO2ID's expats group.  Delegates of public 
services union Unison, the largest trade union in Britain, voted 
overwhelmingly (2000 to 2) at national conference to work with NO2ID 
against ID cards.

If you're reading this newsletter but it was originally sent to someone 
else, why not register your support and get your own? If you use the 
form on the front page of our website - http://www.no2id.net/ - you'll 
also receive a FREE supporters pack and alerts about NO2ID events in 
your area

*July*

NO2ID helped concerned parent David Clouter set up 'LeaveThemKidsAlone' 
- campaigning against the growing problems of child fingerprinting in 
schools.  Within weeks, David had discovered over 200 schools across the 
UK that had fingerprinted children without the express permission of 
their parents, prompting media outrage.  The Sunday Times, meanwhile, 
reported leaked emails which suggested not only that the ID scheme was 
"doomed" but that senior government officials thought they were "setting 
ourselves up to fail".

The database state has many tentacles.  And it's coming for your kids.  
NO2ID wholeheartedly supports citizen-led initiatives such as 
http://www.leavethemkidsalone.com/ which not only fight important 
battles, but help educate the nation as to the nature and extent of the 
threat to all our freedoms and privacy.

*August*

Tony Blair spoke at a News International event and branded single-issue 
pressure groups "a malign tyranny".  Surely he didn't mean us?  NO2ID 
launched a new recruitment drive with the aim of forming a local group 
in each of the locations of the forthcoming ID interrogation centres - 
within the first month we reached 25 out of 69.  The Conservatives 
released a 'mini-manifesto' saying that, if they win the next election, 
they will abolish ID cards.  The Liberal Democrats promised to repeal 
the Identity Cards Act 2006 and, north of the border, the Scottish 
National Party remained implacably opposed.

We now have 36 out of 69.  We need 69 out of 69 - please help us get 
there.  Starting a local group need not be as hard as you think, and we 
provide as much help and resources as we can.  Check out 
http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/ to see if there's a group near you 
and, if not, send an e-mail to local.groups at no2id.net
*September*

Delegates at the first day of Labour party conference all received a 
(free) copy of the Guardian carrying NO2ID's ad depicting Tony Blair 
with a barcode moustache and the tag line, "ID cards have worked well in 
Europe before".  Manchester NO2ID distributed leaflets, stickers and 
postcards around the city.  Surprisingly, the Advertising Standards 
Authority received just eight complaints about the ad. Unsurprisingly, 
the ASA later ruled that our ad was "not offensive".  Because of the 
complaints, the ad was prevented from winning the Association of 
National Advertisers Award for which it was nominated.  We never got a 
chance to make our speech, so thanks now to all those who made this 
possible.

NO2ID tells it like it is.  As our press release said: Tony Blair is not 
Hitler, but he is building the tools of totalitarianism.  We DON'T have 
any T-shirts of the Blair image (nor will we - it was designed to make a 
very specific point that would be lost in other contexts) but we DO have 
plenty of other campaign merchandise: 
http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/shop.php

*October*

Over 600 people turned up to 'Who Do You Think You Are?'- NO2ID's first 
major fundraiser, held at the Hackney Empire in London.  A packed house 
saw Dara O'Brien, Kevin Eldon, Lucy Porter, Andrew O'Neill, Paul Sinha, 
Josie Long, Wil Hodgson, Janie Pahyre, Gary Le Strange and Daniel Kitson 
(MC extraordinaire) on fine form and for once got to laugh about ID 
cards.  Meanwhile, the cost of a UK passport increased from £51 to £66 - 
a 100% increase since October 2003.  Somewhere in London, NO2ID's 
security experts took delivery of an RFID reader...

At the end of October, we launched a mini-campaign on Fingerprinting in 
Pubs - following media coverage of the Home Office sponsored scheme in 
Yeovil.  So far groups have set up in Coventry, Hull, Leeds, Nottingham, 
Sheffield, Swindon, Trowbridge and Yeovil.  If you would like to get 
involved, please send an e-mail with the subject 'Fingerprinting in 
Pubs' to newsletter at no2id.net

*November*

NO2ID supporters in Ipswich and Norwich challenged planning applications 
for the proposed ID interrogation centres in their towns.  Neither 
challenge managed to block permission (though both were left with clear 
grounds for appeal) but the action generated a lot of interest and 
started to get the phrase "interrogation centre" into the printed and 
broadcast media.  The Information Commissioner produced a report warning 
that we were 'waking up in a surveillance society', and NO2ID teamed up 
with security experts to publicly demonstrate the insecurities of the 
new 'biometric' ePassport.

We have set up a webpage with all you need to know to track down an 
interrogation centre - http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php - 
please let us know if you find the planning permission for one of the 
remaining centres. The Home Office, under FOIA, have released 21 street 
addresses.  NO2ID supporters have so far found 36.

*December*

Public focus switched to the lack of privacy and choice involved in NHS 
Care Records as NO2ID helped launch 'TheBigOptOut.org' (TBOO) alongside 
GPs, members of the BMA, the Foundation for Information Policy Research 
(FIPR), hospital administrators and patients.  The Chief Medical Officer 
almost immediately did something stupid, and the man responsible for the 
disastrous NHS IT upgrade, Lord Warner, tried spinning a Christmas 
U-turn just days after announcing his resignation.  In a brazen bit of 
'burying bad news', the Home Office finally released its 'ID Action 
Plan' - to almost universal derision.

Preserve medical privacy, opt out NOW. To find out more, before sending 
a copy of TBOO's letter to your GP, read: 
http://www.TheBigOptOut.org/?page_id=9

Much, much more in the New Year...

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NO2ID, Box 412, 19-21 Crawford Street, LONDON W1H 1PJ
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