Released 23rd May 2003

Home Secretary, David Blunkett, seems determined to impose ID Cards on the UK by introducing his proposals to cabinet later this summer. But he is doing so in face of massive opposition and appears willing to disregard citizens' fundamental rights.

On the BBC Today programme this morning, Labour MP Andy Burnham called for the introduction of an ID Cards. But he let the cat out the bag when he said:

"People do not have a right to anonymity. The state has a right to know who people are."

This is wrong. Article 8 of the 1998 Human Rights Act, which enshrines the European Convention on Human Rights into British Law, states that: "Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence."

Mr Burnham's assertion reveals an underlying disrespect for the Government's own human rights legislation and undermines the inherent principle of privacy. Under Article 8 people do have the right to privacy, unless the Government can show good cause in the interest of national security.

Charter88 Director, Karen Bartlett said: "Will people be willing to pay £25 for the privilege of queuing outside a police station to be fingerprinted and retina-scanned? Forcing people to be tagged like cattle is an infringement of their basic human rights."

"Other countries with ID Card systems have the safeguard of a written constitution, so the relationship between the citizen and state is defined and government powers are limited. But in the UK, without a written constitution, our only guarantee is the Human Rights Act, which Andrew Burnham seems willing to disregard."

Mr Blunkett's crusade is the latest in a long line of aborted initiatives of Home Secretaries to impose what one of his Conservative predecessors, Peter Lilley, called "a solution looking for a problem".

"Will there be biometric readers in every supermarket? And if so, who will pay? What if you are forgetful and leave your cards at home?

The idea that ID Cards can be effectively used to counter bogus asylum-seekers is even more unlikely. It will leave people of 'foreign' appearance or accent liable to the most intrusive invasion on a regular basis.

The government's claim that ID Cards are necessary to combat terrorism or bogus asylum-seekers is a smokescreen to transform Britain into a Big Brother society.

See ID Cards

Or visit No2idCards.com