Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

The more I read about the introduction of ID Cards, the more farcical it seems. The man now in charge with introducing the scheme is the Home Secretary Alan Johnson, the man tipped to take over from Gordon Brown if ever an opening is created. What difference will he make as PM if he cannot take a stand, and admit that the whole concept of the ID card is defunct, and is a waste of money?

The very fact that the Government appears to have back-tracked, and has stated that it is a voluntary scheme is testament to their failure in this area. I never believed that the ID card would protect me in any way before their planned introduction, however the No to ID website informs us to be on guard, as even though the system is voluntary, the government’s plan to roll out the system across the UK stands. This is from their website-

‘The bad news is that the legislation has not changed, nor has the intention. The plan is as it was. From some time in 2011 an application for a passport will mean you must also apply for registration on the National Identity Register — the ID database. You will be said to have ‘volunteered’. Once on the Register you will be required to be fingerprinted at your own expense and report yourself to the authorities for life. The card is a red herring. It is the database that matters.

The good news is all opposition parties are now committed to abolishing the Register, if they gain power.

The bad news is that the Identity and Passport Service intends to build a Register anyway, pretending that the components are necessary for changes to passports. And regulations setting out the details of the scheme have been hustled through the House of Commons, despite only a handful of fanatics being prepared to speak in their favour. And the Register is still planned to form the centre-piece of a revolution in government according to the Safeguarding Identity (pdf) strategy.

The good news is that so far only 3,500 people in total have registered with the Home Office their interest in having an ID card. We intend to tell them the bad news about life-long compulsory registration, and see how many still want to complete their application’.

And yesterday, Alan Johnson launched the new design of the ID cards, to be rolled out first in Manchester. (I am sure they are over the moon to be the guinea pigs of invasions to their privacy) The launch has also sparked debate as the ID cards will not include the Union flag so as not to offend the rights of ‘Irish Nationals’ in Northern Ireland ( How sensitive of the Home Office, I hear you cry).

Instead they can have their own personal cards, or a floral pattern made up of the shamrock, daffodil, thistle and rose alongside the Royal Coat of Arms. Given the fact that the data of people from Northern Ireland will still be kept on a ‘UK’ database, the argument about what is on the card is, I can guess, irrelevant to them.

When we look at Wales, then let us take joy in the fact that we will be able to apply for a card in Welsh, but the card itself will not be bilingual. Again, this is merely a side issue to the fact that they are trying to put a gloss on a scheme that is clearly a waste of money.

And by the way, do we really seriously believe that the introduction of such cards will stop fraud or ‘terrorism’? My guess is no, it will not. Cynically, this is just another way for the Government to collect data on us, and for what purpose other than to curtail our rights and freedoms?

I’m just off to watch Big Brother. Have a good one.