[no2id-supporters] NO2ID Newsletter No.132

Thu Sep 24 15:37:54 BST 2009

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http://newsletters.mu.no2id.net

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     ++ NO2ID Supporters' Newsletter No. 132 - 24th September 2009 ++

*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 not a working email address)

       + PATRONISING HYPE FOR ID SCHEME +

The UK Identity and Passport Service (UK-IPS) will unveil a marketing
campaign for its ID scheme tomorrow (Friday 25th September) based on
animated fingerprint characters. The Home Office is propagandising
*businesses* rather than the general public in an attempt to give the
impression that the ID scheme is moving forwards whilst in reality
nothing much is actually happening.

You may not see the advertising as it targeted at traders, but it is
your money paying for it.  The insulting animated fingerprints campaign
is aimed at persuading retailers who have to comply with age
restrictions that ID cards are a fait accompli and that there is public
demand. The opposite is the case. ID cards are going to be vanishingly
rare for a long time to come, and it would be a foolish businessman who
changed anything he did because of them - particularly since it is
*unlawful* to demand to be shown someone's ID card without giving them a
reasonable alternative - and most people who might be affected already
have plenty of alternatives in the form of PASS cards as well as driving
licenses, etc.

UK-IPS chief James Hall has already begun a 'charm offensive' in the
licensed trade press, attempting to undermine existing well established
proof of age schemes and talk up the inclusion of biometrics - despite
the fact that shops and pubs will not have machines to read
fingerprints, and that UK-IPS' own guidance predicts problems with
visual checks in pubs and clubs. They have also recently been polling
businesses to try and discover what would be most likely to make them
start using the scheme with their employees, so we can expect another
campaign based round that theme to appear at some stage.

This latest, desperate attempt to market the ID scheme is patronising
hype. Having failed to come up with any convincing benefits, officials
are set to waste millions shoving ID cards down the throats of shops, of
licensees, and of young people who already have alternatives. The UK-IPS
is treating the public and businesses like children if it thinks giving
fingerprints smiles will make us all happy to be fingerprinted.

Anyone signing up for a Home Office "identity card" has agreed to report
to an official database for life, and lost control of their own identity
information for ever. It is nothing to smile about.

*+ Reminder: Launch of our counter campaign +

*NO2ID will launch a counter campaign in Greater Manchester on the 10th
October and Central Manchester on the 17th October. On Saturday 10th
October there will be a day of action with NO2ID groups and supporters
from around the UK heading to selected locations in Greater Manchester
to hold street stalls, leaflet and spread the word. The following
Saturday, 17th October, we shall be running more street stalls in
central Manchester and holding a public meeting at the Friends Meeting
House in Mount Street. For more details see Manchester and your local
group in the local groups section below
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       What just happened?

*+ Pointless ID Scheme Commissioner appointed +*

The government has appointed Sir Joseph Pilling as the first 'Identity
Commissioner' for the ID cards scheme - a role that is toothless and
irrelevant. The new Commissioner cannot investigate criminality, issue
any sanction for breach or misuse or even demand compliance with the Act
which he is supposed to oversee. The UK Identity and Passport Service
(UK-IPS) press release states: "The new Identity Commissioner will act
independently and on behalf of the public to ensure that information
held on the National Identity Register is accurate and secure as well as
monitoring the use identity cards are put to by both public and private
sectors". It is hard to see how Pilling, who began his career with the
Home Office in 1966 and has spent his entire career being the soul of
discretion in various Departments of State, could be described as
"independent" or be expected to act as a whistleblower.

*+ NO2ID Database Man advert is "decent and true" +

*The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that NO2ID's advert
'Database Man' is decent, true and substantiated following a single
complaint from a reader of the New Statesman in July,  The advert,
designed to highlight the threat to privacy posed by the proposed
existence of a National Identity Register, specifically insider abuse,
and indirectly to highlight the data sharing, collating and
cross-referencing functions of the Register, has been run in various
publications since 2005.
The advert can be downloaded at
http://www.no2id.net/downloads/DatabaseMan.pdf
The full adjudication is at
http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Public/TF_ADJ_46940.htm

*+ National DNA Database Ethics Group Annual Report released +

*The 2nd Annual Report of the National DNA Database Ethics Group has
been released. The report criticises the government's response to the
European Court of Human Rights ruling that keeping the DNA of people
arrested but not charged was unlawful.
The report can be downloaded at
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/forensic-science-regulator/NDNAD_Ethics_Group_2nd_Annu1.pdf?view=Binary
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       What's next?

** *+ POWER2010 campaign wants your ideas +*
NO2ID supporters are invited to contribute ideas for the POWER2010
campaign, which will set out a reforming agenda at the next general
election.  Naturally NO2ID would like ideas about curtailing the
database state to feature, but you are certainly not limited to that.
You can contribute ANY ideas for governmental reform on the campaign's
website at: www.power2010.org.uk

Perhaps you have a solution to departments using phoney consultation
processes to railroad through a pre-determined policy. Or it might be
limits on the use of statutory instruments, which have allowed the
government to extend the use of ID cards without parliamentary scrutiny.
Perhaps you have a way for us all to maintain ownership of our personal
information. You decide. The only requirement is that it should be about
improving the way our democracy works and how the decisions are made
that affect our lives.

The ideas with most support will become the POWER2010 Pledge, which the
campaign intends to invite every candidate standing at the next general
election to make the pledge into their own public commitment, so that
the new parliament will be fully aware of what the public thinks of
those building-blocks of government which are fundamental but seldom
covered by manifestos.

*+ London: Mark Thomas gig volunteers required +*
Mark Thomas has a run of gigs at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn every
evening (except Sunday) until 3rd October and we need volunteers to help
out. Please email Matty Mitford on local.groups at no2id.net with your
availability if you'd like to help out.

*+ Party Conferences +*
NO2ID does not have fringe meetings at any of the main party conferences
this year, but we will be aiming to leaflet delegates in order to
complement an advertising campaign in the political magazines that are
distributed to delegates.  Phil Booth (national.coordinator at no2id.net)
will be in Manchester for the Conservative Party Conference (5th to 8th
October) and in Brighton for the Labour Party Conference (27th September
to 1st October). If you are a delegate or local resident and would like
to help out, please contact the appropriate person - putting "[Party]
Conference" in the subject line of your email.

*+ London Globe Theatre - 'A New World' - A Life of Thomas Paine +*
Until 9th October at The Globe Theatre, Bankside, London. A New World
brings to life a world turned upside down by notions of freedom and
liberty. American independence and French revolution, battlefields and
bedrooms, prisons and printing presses are all brought to the Globe
stage in this compelling story of a remarkable man. This world premiere
celebrates the life and loves of Thomas Paine with songs, music and a
huge carnival spirit. The much-acclaimed writer Trevor Griffiths is best
known for his landmark play Comedians and Oscar-nominated screenplay Reds.
For more info visit
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/theatre/annualtheatreseason/anewworld/

*+ Have your say - National Identity Service Public Panels +*
The UK Identity and Passport Service (UKIPS) is setting up public panels
around the country to get the views of members of the public as they
build the "National Identity Service". The UKIPS website states that
"Independent scrutiny is vital to the success of the National Identity
Service (NIS)". Apparently they want to "put the public at the heart of
our service" and are "committed to making sure that the way we work is
completely transparent and that people, businesses and the Government
know their rights and responsibilities". Public panels will be made up
of 11 members, and will meet for half a day up to three times a year.
The aim is to "produce an Identity Rights Charter. This will set out the
rights and responsibilities people, businesses and the Government have
under the NIS". To join a panel you can fill in the online form at
www.ips.gov.uk/publicpanel or call 020 3356 8174.
More details at http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/1189.htm

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

       "ID" in the news

*+ Euro project to arrest us for what they think we will do - The
Regsiter 23/9/09 +*
Radical Think Tank Open Europe has this week exposed a study by the EU
that could lead to the creation of a massive cross-Europe database,
amassing vast amounts of personal data on every single citizen in the
EU. The scope of this project also reveals a growing governmental
preference for systems capable of locking people up not for what they
have done, but for what they might do.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/23/eu_crime_prediction_project/

*+ Home Office stonewalls ID findings - The Register 22/9/09 +*
The Home Office is refusing to release 'research' it carried out which
was meant to prove just how very keen young people in the UK are to get
hold of a delicious ID card. The department blew almost £80,000 setting
up a site to find out what people aged between 16 and 25 thought of ID
cards. The site operated from July to mid-October and was run by Virtual
Surveys. It suffered some early teething problems
(http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/09/my_life_my_id_my_heart/) when
admins were accused of censoring comments.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/22/id_card_research_blanked/print.html

*+ DVLA Flogs Database to Castrol - Piston Heads - 21/9/09 +*
Castrol is using roadside cameras to read vehicle registrations and then
flash individual motorists with a message stating that a Castrol product
is 'the right oil' for their car.
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=20684

*+ ID cards face an uncertain future after Cabinet argues over cuts -
The Times 18/9/09 +*
A Cabinet row over ID cards broke out yesterday as Gordon Brown began
detailed talks over the cuts needed to start repaying Britain's debt.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6840709.ece

*+ MoJ admits personal data breaches - Law Gazette 17/9/09 +*
Nearly 2,000 people have had personal information about themselves lost
by the Ministry of Justice over the past year, in a series of incidents
listed in the department's accounts, published last week.
http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/moj-admits-personal-data-breaches

*+ Ministers retreat on child database - The Independent 15/9/09 +*
Moves to vet every adult who works with children are set to be watered
down after the Government ordered a last-minute review of the
controversial anti-paedophile scheme. Ed Balls, the Children's
Secretary, acted amid fury that the criminal record checks would affect
parents who give lifts to children on behalf of sports teams or
voluntary organisations such as the Scouts.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ministers-retreat-on-child-database-1787322.html

*+ Vetting contact rule under review - BBC News online 14/9/09 +*
The government is to look again at how a new vetting system for those
working with children will operate. England's Children's Secretary Ed
Balls said it was "tremendously important" to define "frequent or
intensive" contact correctly.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8255553.stm

*+ PAC criticises NPfIT delivery - eHealth Insider 14/9/09 +*
The Public Accounts Committee has criticised the government for not
using appropriate governance arrangements or available project
management skills when delivering the National Programme for IT in the NHS.
http://www.e-health-insider.com/news/5202/pac_criticises_npfit_delivery

(Please send me any items of interest you encounter -
Editor(newsletter at no2id.net) )
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS + *

To see if there's a group in your area check our list at
http://www.no2id.net/localgroups/
Or, if you're interested in starting a group yourself, please contact
Matty on local.groups at no2id.net to discuss what's involved and what we
have in place to support coordinators and their groups.

_*+ Alexandra Palace +*_

*+ 14th October - Alexandra Palace NO2ID Monthly Meeting (2nd Wednesday
of month) +*
Wednesday 14th October, 8:15pm at The Gate pub on Station Road (N22
7SS). All welcome. For further details please contact
alexandra.palace at no2id.net

_*+ Birmingham +*_*

+ 30th September - Birmingham NO2ID Meeting +
*Wednesday, 30th September, 7:30pm at Bennetts Bar, 8 Bennetts Hill, B2 5RS.

_*+ Bristol +*_*

+ 7th October - Bristol NO2ID Meeting +*
Wednesday 7th October, 7:30pm at the Deco Lounge on Cotham Hill (off
Whiteladies Road). New members always welcome.

_*+ Cambridge +*_

*+ 3rd October - Cambridge NO2ID Ipswich trip +*
Saturday 3rd October, Cambridge NO2ID supporters will be travelling to
Ipswich to help run a street stall there. Free transport available. If
you're interested in helping, please get in touch: cambridge at no2id.net.

*+ 6th & 7th October - Cambridge Student NO2ID stall +*
Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th October, the newly-formed Cambridge Student
NO2ID will have a stall at the Universities' Societies' Fair (see:
http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/societies/directory/notoid/). If you'd like to
help man the stall, please contact cambridge at no2id.net. If you'll be
visiting the Fair, please drop by to say hello and collect a NO2ID badge.

*+ 7th October - Cambridge NO2ID Monthly Pub Meeting (first Wednesday of
month) +*
Wednesday 7th October, 7:30pm at the Salisbury Arms, 76 Tenison Rd,
Cambridge CB1 2DW (http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/CYXNES29). Cambridge
NO2ID's informal pub meetings are on the first Wednesday of each month.
For more details contact cambridge at no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on
07710 469624.
*
+ 10th October - Cambridge NO2ID trip to Manchester +*
Saturday 10th October, Cambridge NO2ID supporters will be travelling to
the Manchester area to run a couple of street stalls in support of the
day of action . Free transport available, leaving Cambridge at 0800,
returning in the evening. If you'd like to join us for the day, please
get in touch: cambridge at no2id.net.

*+ 24th October - Cambridge NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 24th October, in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall
(http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/T5LZATLS) from 2pm (note new time).
Please contact Andrew on 07710 469624 if you'd like to help.

_**__*+ Canterbury +*_

To stay up to date join the Canterbury NO2ID mailing list on:
http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.canterbury

_*+ Dorking +*_*

*Now that our Question Time on Civil Liberties is behind us, we are
thinking about what to do next. Meanwhile a little bit of the meeting
has been uploaded to youtube here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkVqOuDplBU.

*+ 6th October - Dorking NO2ID Monthly Meeting (first Tuesday of month) +*
Tuesday 6th October at 7.30pm -- maybe a new venue so if you want to
come along do get in touch first (dorking at no2id.net).

*+ 24th October - Dorking NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 24th October - for meeting time and venue contact dorking at no2id.net

_**__*+ Edinburgh +
*_*****
**+ Scotland: Government consultation on Draft Principles for Privacy
Protection +*
On 31st August, the Scottish Government launched a 12 week consultation
on the draft principles produced by its Privacy Working Group. These
principles are intended to govern how personal information is handled by
the government. The consultation paper is available online:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/08/PrinciplesConsultation
*
+ Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh Street Stall +*
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at
the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel.  Do drop by
for a chat.  New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh at no2id.net),
and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

_*+ Epsom +*_

If anyone wants to get involved in the Epsom area, please email or phone
NO2ID South East Regional Coordinator Geoff Cox on south.east at no2id.net
or call 01306 631377.
**
_*+ Glasgow +*_

*+ Scotland: Government consultation on Draft Principles for Privacy
Protection +*
On 31st August, the Scottish Government launched a 12 week consultation
on the draft principles produced by its Privacy Working Group. These
principles are intended to govern how personal information is handled by
the government. The consultation paper is available online:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/08/PrinciplesConsultation

_*+ Ipswich +*_*

**+ 3rd October - Ipswich NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 3rd October, Ipswich town centre - contact Bobby Gooding
(ipswich at no2id.net) for where and when we'll be meeting.

*+ 14th October - Ipswich NO2ID Monthly Pub Meeting (second Wednesday of
every month) +
*Wednesday 14th October, 7:30pm at The Black Horse Inn, Black Horse
Lane, Ipswich.  For more information email Bobby at ipswich at no2id.net or
subscribe to mailing list at
http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.ipswich

_*+ Lancaster +*_

Subscribe to the Lancaster NO2ID e-mail list at
http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.lancaster

_*+ Leeds +*_

*+ 26th September - Leeds NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 26th September at 1.30pm, somewhere near the north end of
Briggate (main pedestrianised street, LEEDS city centre). Please come
along and say hi, or join us to help volunteer with the campaign. Mail
leeds at no2id.net for further info.

_*+ Leicester +*_

*+ 30th September - Leicester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +*
Wednesday 30th September, 8:30pm at The Lancaster Arms, 234 Green Lane
Road, Leicester. LE5 4PA

_*+ Manchester +*_

*+ 24th October - "Freedom Come, Freedom Go!" Manchester NO2ID Redux +*
Saturday 24th October, 6.30pm-7.30pm - A comedy show about our eroding
freedoms performed by Tom Read, stand up comedian, former member of
Manchester NO2ID and now coordinator of Norwich NO2ID. The show
appropriately is
also entirely free! So come along and see what's going on. Definitely
not to be missed! "Entertaining and educational" - Three Weeks.
_
*+ Manchester Action against North West Guinea Pigs +*_

NO2ID's rolling campaign involving groups from across the coutry to
alert and inform the people of Manchester and -- as the National
Identity Scheme's net widens -- the North West:

*+ 10th October - Manchester-wide Street Stalls +*
Saturday 10th October, we will be running a series of street stalls
around the Greater Manchester area. If you would like to help volunteer
with this or any other of the events we have planned for our campaign
please email Manchester at no2id.net

*+ 17th October - Manchester City Centre Street Stalls and Drop-in Centre +
*Saturday 17th October, we will be holding a series of stalls in the
city centre. Aiming to get setup from 12pm. From 1pm once the stalls are
established we will be holding a drop-in centre for new campaigners from
1pm in the Friends Meeting House on Mount Street. This is a chance to
come along, meet up with, and get involved in our campaign against the
Database State. You will have a chance to chat with experienced
campaigners to explore what you can personally do to help oppose the
scheme, collect leaflets to spread the word, and have the opportunity to
experience helping out on one of our many street stalls that will be
taking place around the City Centre.

*+ 17th October - Public Meeting, Pledge Signing and Social Event +*
Saturday 17th October at 3.30pm there will be a free public meeting in
the Friends Meeting House on Mount Street. We will be hosting a number
of informative talks from campaigners on the issues surrounding ID cards
and the Database state, which will be followed by an open question and
answer session where attendees can participate in the debate. Following
the meeting we will be
heading out onto Albert Square to burn a mock ID card as a symbol our
continued opposition to the scheme.
*
*_*+ Norwich +*_

*+ 13th October - Norwich NO2ID Group Meeting +*
Tuesday 13th October, 7:30-9pm, Norwich NO2ID will be meeting at The
Workshop Cafe (opposite The Black Horse), 53 Earlham Road, NR2 3AD, to
discuss ways of keeping pressure on political parties to scrap the ID
card scheme and all of the wasteful, unsafe databases, and how to raise
awareness with the public. Come along to air your views and find more
ways to get involved.

*+ 17th October - Norwich NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 17th October, 1-3pm at The Haymarket, Gentleman's Walk. Set the
record straight on insipid, intrusive ID cards and devisive, derisory
databases! Meet the public and spread the word!

If you are interested in the work of the Norwich group, please join
their mailing list on: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.norwich

_*+ Oxford +*_

*+ 1st October - Oxford **NO2ID ** Monthly Meeting (first Thursday of
month) +*
Thursday 1st October at the Mitre on the High Street from 8pm for an
hour or so for a chat and to discuss the campaign. All welcome.

*+ 3rd October - Oxford NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday, 3rd October - our last couple of stalls have suffered from the
sheer number of other stalls on Cornmarket Street. So this time we may
try pitching up somewhere else. We will meet up at Carfax tower at 11am
and choose a spot shortly after. If you fancy lending a hand drop an
email to oxford at no2id.net and I can ensure we don't miss you.

*+ 17th October - Oxford NO2ID day trip to Manchester*
Saturday 17th September, we are planning to take a day trip up to
Manchester to join several other groups in a coordinated day of action.
If you are interested in this, again drop me an email at (oxford at no2id.net).

See the website for more: http://no2id-oxford.org.uk/

_*+ Reading +*_*
*
*+ New Coordinator for Reading NO2ID +*
As of the branch meeting on 7th September, Reading NO2ID has a new
coordinator. Fellow activist Gabriel Berry has taken over from
long-standing local group founder Ian Darling, who has chosen to stand
down for family reasons. Highlights of his tenure were the countless
successful recruitment and publicity street sessions (each followed by
countless successful pub sessions), and the excellent Reading Borough
Council motion earlier this year. Reading NO2ID members wish to thank
Ian for his sterling service to the cause over the years since he set
the branch up, and look forward to continuing to benefit from his
knowledge and assistance as an activist.

Contact Reading NO2ID on reading at no2id.net or join our web group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Reading-No2ID/.*
*
*_+ Sheffield +_

+ 30th September - Sheffield NO2ID Monthly Meeting (fourth Wednesday of
month) +

*Wednesday 30th September, 7:30pm at the Harlequin pub on Nursery
Street. This is our regular monthly meeting where we discuss how the
campaign is progressing and organise local activities. We will be joined
by the Yorkshire regional co-ordinator and will be discussing our
contribution to opposing the Manchester ID card trial in October. You
can contact the group at sheffield at no2id.net*
*
_*+ Southampton +*_*

+ 7th October - Southampton NO2ID Monthly Meeting (first Wednesday of
month) +*
Wednesday 7th October, 8pm at the Dolphin Pub in St Denys (next to the
railway station). Everyone welcome, especially recently arrived students.

_*+ Shrewsbury +*_*

+ 17th October - Shrewsbury NO2ID Lunch Club and Street Stall +*
Saturday, 17th October - come for lunch at Rococo in Butcher Row at
12.30pm, and then join us on the street stall in Pride Hill. Let Rob
Findlay know that you're coming (shrewsbury at no2id.net or 07973 848910)
so that we can grab enough table space for everybody.

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