Time to unite against ID cards, says Bridget

2.58.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 18th Aug 2009

Liberal Democrat campaigner Bridget Fox has restated her opposition to ID cards following recent concerns about NHS records in Islington.

Bridget says:

"The recent case of NHS paper records lost on Holloway Road reminds us how important it is for the government and state organisations to keep our data safe; and not to collect more information than they really need in the first place. Yet every week, hardly noticed, the Labour government is extending the database state, at our expense.

"Just before the Parliamentary holidays, MPs brought in new regulations to allow the Passport and Information Service to share personal information with a host of other agencies without an individual's consent. The House of Lords had voted on more regulations for putting the ID card scheme into practice. By forcing through yet more ID card legislation, the government has shown again how out of touch it is.

"The government's position is contradictory and misleading. Last month, Alan Johnson said that ID cards would not be compulsory, then he said the whole scheme would be accelerated. While spin doctors try to convince us that ID cards have been dropped, the truth is that the government is still pushing them.

"When Opposition MPs united to table a parliamentary debate calling for the ID card scheme to be scrapped, the Labour Government still backed this flawed and unpopular plan. Unlike the other parties, every Liberal Democrat MP is pledged to oppose ID cards and the massive database needed to implement them. The issue has divided Islington Labour Party. Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn voted with the Liberal Democrats to oppose ID cards; but Labour loyalist Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South and Finsbury, lined up with the government whips and voted in favour of ID cards.

"I believe that ID cards are expensive, intrusive and do nothing to make us safer. At a time of recession, the multi-billion pound ID card budget could be so much better spent. It's time to say no to ID."