23 February 2010 – Pre–election strategy
We discussed the ID Management and Privacy guidelines and our approach to the upcoming general election.
ID Management and Privacy in Scotland
Three members attended the "Data Protection Scotland – Respeacting Privacy, Building Trust" event at Dynamic Earth on 25 November.
The main audience had been people working in the public sector, local authorities, NHS, police, etc. Total attendance was about 125.
Programme for the Data Protection Scotland event
They reported that NHS staff believed that they, rather than the patients themselves, owned the patients' medical data.
Draft Identity Management and Privacy Principles
Public responses to the Scottish Government consultation on ID management guidelines, discussed at the October meeting, are now online.
Draft Identity Management and Privacy Principles consultation paper
Responses to the Draft Identity Management and Privacy Principles
There had been 9 from anonymous sources, 16 from named individuals and 37 from organisations including NO2ID Scotland and NHS Lothian.
Transport Scotland had submitted a minimalist, brazenly indifferent, response while there had been a long, passionate response from Autism Rights.
Members queried what sanctions would be applied for those who broke the guidelines. It was thought that an updated document would appear in the Spring.
Campaign 2010
A number of actions that individuals could take were highlighted:
- vote at the general election, even by spoiling the paper if no candidate was suitable
- encourage others to vote
- attend hustings and ask about ID cards and the database/surveillance state
- put a question to the 'Question Time' event (Brian Taylor's Big Debate) to be held on 26 February at 1.15pm on Radio Scotland
- write to newspapers
- ask candidates what exactly they will do about ID cards
NO2ID HQ will write to all candidates firstly to introduce themselves, then with more information and thirdly with a questionnaire. After the election HQ would write to all the victorious MPs.
There was a long discussion about organising hustings for the election, in partnership with other organisations. Out of the Blue, off Leith Walk, might be a suitable venue.
It was thought that the group should target a single Edinburgh constituency, possibly Edinburgh North and Leith or Edinburgh East, but fears were expressed that NO2ID should not be seen to be allied with any particular party.
Power2010
Attention was drawn to the Power 2010 survey, where ID cards came second in the list of most important topics that politicians should address.
It was suggested that the group could ask candidates whether they agreed with the Power 2010 results. We could then try to get our findings published in the Big Issue or the Evening News.