ID Cards: News For Scotland

"The most serious concern lies not with the piece of plastic, but with the vast database that will record information and steadily build on it over our lifetimes. As a result, personal information about us will no longer be under our own control, but under the state's."

"The imposition of ID cards represents a particular threat to the vulnerable and socially excluded groups. The greatest fear I have about ID cards, however, remains the implication of a fundamental change in the relationship between the individual and the state. The Church would reiterate its view that citizens should not be required to justify themselves to the government in this way, unless they have done something wrong. Otherwise, we risk losing a valuable part of our democracy."

Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie, said:

"None of the serious concerns about the use of the database have been addressed - nothing on function creep, nothing on data sharing, nothing on the presumption of accuracy - a huge problem given that much smaller, simpler systems such as NI numbers and driving licences are riddled with inaccuracies - nothing on the fact that individuals will be required to pay for the privilege of having inaccurate information corrected."

Scottish Green Party MSP Patrick Harvie recently tabled two written questions on the subject, the answers can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/pqa/wa-05/wa0523.htm
(S2W-16501 and S2W-16503)

The answers are encouraging, in particular the statement that:

"I can confirm that the card is voluntary and no-one would be denied access to the services that they are entitled to should they decline the offer of a card"

"The presumption behind the 'nothing to hide - nothing to fear' mantra is obnoxious.
"That presumption is that the citizen is answerable, in this sense, to the government. It should be the other way around.
"Being a citizen means - or should mean - not having to justify oneself to the government unless one has already been shown to have done something wrong."

NO2ID will continue to campaign on ID cards and the database state in the coming four weeks. We need to carry on informing the public. But we also remain entirely non-partisan.

We cannot as a matter of principle offer support to particular parties or particular candidates. There are many in all parties who agree with us, whatever nominal party policy.

What we can and will do is question candidates on their views, and inform and lobby them. We can also ensure the matter is raised in local campaigns by attending hustings, by taking part in radio phone-ins and by writing to the press.

Amongst other criticisms, the Parliament has agreed the proposals are "flawed on political, technical and financial grounds". The Scottish Parliament is also "concerned that the national identity card and database offer an ineffective response to problems of security and fraud and pose an unacceptable threat to civil liberties"

This is a huge rift between the Westminster and Holyrood administrations. It shows that the people of Scotland will not happily give up basic civil liberties. Westminster MPs who want to keep their seats in the forthcoming general election should note carefully the will of the Scottish Parliament and, more importantly, the Scottish people.

The full text of the motion passed by the Parliament is available at the Scottish Parliament website

Edinburgh University Student Association President Steve Cockburn said:

"Students at Edinburgh have spoken out strongly against ID cards as a measure that would be too costly both in terms of expenditure and, more importantly, civil liberties. It is felt that ID cards would do little to enhance our security, but instead would merely undermine individual freedom and be used to discriminate against society's minorities."

"The campaign against ID cards and the National Identity Register is attracting new support every day from all quarters. The more people find out about ID cards, the less they like them."

This is good news but doesn't solve the basic problem: everyone in Scotland will still be scanned, numbered and filed in a huge Westminster database. And we'll have to pay for the privilege.

That's good news but two points need to be made:

1) Even if we don't need to use the card to access services, we will still be made to have and pay for one. We will still be made to be fingerprinted, scanned and filed in a central Westminster database.
2) Last time McConnell made such a promise it turned out to be qualified with "in the life of this Parliament". Since no ID cards will be issued before 2007 at the earliest, such an assurance is worthless.

We wait to see exactly what he says later today.
Full report in The Scotsman.