NO 2 ID CARDS... Lib Dems get local support for ID Card Opposition

3.14.02pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 18th Oct 2005

Team with tragedy masks with bar-code gagging.

Local Liberal Democrats met widespread support for their opposition to ID cards and the national identity database, in a town centre petition harvesting campaign. Many signed petitions against an extravagant scheme which, according to Parliamentary Spokesman Stephen Robinson, "will cost citizens £100s and do nothing to cut crime, terrorism or illegal immigration." He said, "As well as the charge to all of us, the system will cost AT LEAST £6 billion.This amounts to an extra 2p on the basic rate of income tax, which should be invested in the police, and has all the hallmarks of another expensive Government computer fiasco."

Local councillor Andrew Sosin said, "It would be much better to spend the money on more police officers. That would do very much more to cut crime across the board. It only needs a few more MPs to change their mind to stop this monumental waste of money and bureaucratic nightmare.

Liberal Democrats oppose ID cards because...

· the soaring cost - the £6 billion would be better spent on tackling crime directly;

· the charge to citizens could be as high as £300;

· the intrusion into the private lives of citizens by the government, including the compulsory fingerprinting of every adult and the creation of a single database containing the movements, details and activities of every individual;

Stephen Robinson & Andrew Sosin collected signatures on the No to ID petition

· the considerable problems that would be caused to individuals and to the country generally if the technology fails."

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