General Chat

well Dave ,that's as maybe ,but if that's the case then Blair is even more stupid to carry on with a maggie idea ,why should i have to pay up to three hundred pounds to join a system which is open to abuse by the criminal factions,it didn't work too well during the war ,and the unlawful are much more intelligent now,and can make a killing from this idea. Can mr Blair not find something more usful to do?like maybe sorting out the injustice in this country?. Forgive me if i'm wrong Dave ,but did i not spend time in H.M.forces to defend the rights of freedom in this country,if i wanted a big brother state ,i could emigrate to the eastern bloc.Fred.PtfT&A&G&G&S.

i certainly don't want them. My driving licence is enough.

Same old story: 100% identification of the law-abiding and nothing on everybody else. If the proposal included fingerprinting, photographing and taking biometric information from everyone entering the country then I could support it. Without that it's a total waste of time and money. There are around 1 million illegal immmigrants in the UK, I can't see them lining up to give their details!

I don't have a problem with carrying an id card but like others i object to paying for it. I have a chip and pin credit card issued by the bank which has lots of info on it and it didn't cost me anything and as the treasury is a giant bank they should absorb the cost John

I don't object to carrying an ID card but I do object to paying for one as I already have a passport and photo ID driving licence which I had to pay for. If the government want to know anything about me they can always ask Tesco! LOL Julie xxx

I have no problem carrying one,we had Id cards in WW2(Iwas only a kid then). BUT I object to having to fork out a huge sum for it,lots of low paid families,pensioners etc just would 'nt be able to afford too. If the Govt want it,then they should pay for it,especially not only do they saythey would have to be renewed every five/ten years. And the criminal fraternity would eventually crack the system and fake ID,s would soon appear so defeating the object Shirley

In principle I have no worries about carrying one, I have nothing to hide. however, I do not thin it fair to expect people to pay around £300 for them (and double that of course for a couple, more for a family where the over 18s are still at college etc. Also i was not happy with the news that the govt. are preparing to 'sell' some of our information from the ID cards to interested parties. Where will that end. I agree that criminals will have the equipment to steal and copy our IDs very quickly. I don't think the govt, as usual, have thought this through, so far they don't have a good track record where grandiose schemes rely on computer technology. Ann Glos

Fred I think you will find the idea of identity cards isnt one of Blairs stupid ideas but Margaret Thatchers it was her government in 1989 who first put forward the idea and it has been kicked about in parliament ever since, so blame Maggie if you dont like it. Dave

I agree with James. I don't want one...Feel tagged and checked up on enough and Deffinately not paying for something don't want. And what happens if you forget to carry it...do you get a Fine...or haven't they thought of that one yet. I have a passport and Photo Driving licence for them to check who I am, I know everyone doesn't but I am feed up of being Legal,insurance payer, pension concious, a good citizen and paying for everyone else that isn't....who ever said crime doesn't pay are right it's the good people that do that in excess to cover the ones that don't . Grrrrr.. Sue

just another way for Blair to waste money on his stupid ideas ,i don't see any need for them ,the new driving licsence will do for most anyway .Fred>ptfT&A&G&G&S.

I have no objection to carrying a card in principal, but I think that if anyone wanted to steal your identity or reproduce cards for illigal purposes then they could. People have found a way for forge money, passports, driving licences, and if the governments technology is getting better then so is the criminals. Also, while I have nothing to hide, it makes me uncomfortable to think that a lot of my personal details are stored on a computer somewhere (which might be hackable so someone could steal my identity ;o) ) It is too Big Brother I also object to having to pay for it. If the goverment wants us to carry card which I don't see will make all that difference, let them fund it. Claire xx

personally i have mixed opinions for the scheme. I agree with Dave though if they want to introduce the scheme initally they should cough up the money for the cards. However I can foresee them utilising the card to hold other personal information about us and in the wrong hands that could be lethal and will not deter criminals. After when new technology comes out there are people out there who feel its a challenge to 'crack it' just for jollies if not other intentions. There are already people about who counterfit cards + passports this will just be another opportunity for them. In order to keep personal data hidden so to speak prospective agencies or employers etc would need some kind of swipe machine that could read the data within. Would we get a say in what data it holds in future ie credit history the list in endless really. On the up side if measures could be put in place to ensure that the cards are not used as a way of targetting specific groups and will combat crime etc then im all for it. :)

They say they are going to cost more nearer £300 Lynda which loads of people will not be able to afford. Dave

I don't need an identity card. It has taken over 50 years but I now know who I am !

I agree with Dave. Identity cards are a good idea, but we shouldn't have to pay for them, especially when so many people pay so much tax on wages. M.

i dont mind having one im not gonna pay for it though

Well Amanda I think it will be a good thing to be able to see who people are! The only thing I have against it is having to pay ourselfs.The government should find that either by direct or indirect funding. Davec

For identity cards: The government and supporters of the scheme argue that identity cards are necessary to prevent identity theft and reduce benefit fraud. They say that identity cards would: Prevent illegal immigration: Lack of a card allows illegal immigrants to arrive and disappear, according to the government. Prevent illegal working: Identity cards would enable employers to verify if people are allowed to work and it would be easier to prosecute employers who break the law, says the Home Office. Aid anti-terrorism measures: Identity cards would make it harder for terrorists and organised crime rings to use false and multiple identities, argues the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Tackle identity theft: A National Register with unique biometric information for each person would make fraud much harder, according to Cifas, the UK’s fraud prevention service. Reduce benefit fraud and abuse of public services: Identity cards would ensure that public services are only used by those entitled to, says the Home Office. Enhance sense of community: The government believes that identity cards would create a sense of shared citizenship, belonging and security. Against identity cards: Opponents argue that identity cards won’t improve security in this country. They say that identity cards would: Lead to loss of privacy: A massive database with an unprecedented amount of personal information would be created with giving government the power to 'extend surveillance' of the population, says No2ID. Be costly and impractical: The true cost of the scheme is unpredictable and the Home Office has a bad track record with large-scale IT projects, says the Liberal Democrats. Worsen harassment of ethnic minorities: They would provide another pretext for stop-and-search, often directed at ethnic minorities, argues the civil liberties group Liberty. Have little impact on counter-terrorism: Terror networks could forge cards or papers enabling people to get cards, and they haven’t prevented attacks elsewhere, says Liberty. Have little effect on illegal working: Employers who are already willing to break the law won’t be put off by identity cards, says campaigning organisation No2ID. Lead to ‘function creep’: MPs on the Home Affairs Committee expressed concerns that the functions of the card could grow as it stores more personal information. There is also a online petition against the cards: http://www.no2id-petition.net/

after reading the latest news about the uk ID scheme i thought i see your opinions I will cut n paste the suggested pro's + cons of the scheme from the news article.