The case against ID cards

I am with volver. For ID to be acceptable you would have to trust your government, forever. I don't trust any of the present UK Cabinet, to not sell my details etc. Do you?

Greyduster

I don’t get this. Until we become a police state - and let’s be sensible about the possibility of that happening - under what circumstances do you envisage you would you be asked to produce it while out and about minding your own business?

Have you ever been in Paris and watched them stop random young black men to demand their ID? (And I don't think France is a police state)

I have dual nationality and one of these involves an ID card (and the police have demanded it more than once, and also talking about what data is held, they even put guarantees for consumer items on it...). I will fully admit that it makes life, for me, easier but knowing that we can manage without them without any great loss I'd much rather stay te way we are in the UK.

We can already be tracked via our phones and there are so many cctv cameras around now that is difficult to be out and about without being tracked. Facial recognition technology imposes even further on our privacy. If you use an oyster or debit card on public transport, your journey can be tracked and, simply using your credit/debit card for a purchase means you can be tracked. I am not convinced that ID cards will make a great deal of difference.

Passports and driving licences are often used for ID too.

We have had personal ID numbers in Sweden from probably the 1960s. Have only experienced positive things using it. Simplifies all sorts of transactions

I was actually employed by the CS at the time and my department was involved with it.

From memory it was suggested under Blair and Gordon Brown was dealing with it but it was all getting rather vague with assertions that people wouldn't have to carry them, so what was their point. There was also talk of using them in the EU instead of passports. It all got complex, hugely expensive and it was axed as soon as the Conservatives got in.

Something like that anyway. I don't believe that well be having ID cards any time soon. They aren't popular with many. I always swore I'd rather go to prison than carry one. Bit extreme of me really. Luckily we never got to put it to the test!

Was it really? And I always thought it was dropped by the Blair government. Well I never!

maddyone

Does anyone remember, the idea of ID cards was brought up during the Blair government years, but it was dropped because people objected quite a lot.

It was dropped by the new Home Secretary, Theresa May, when Conservatives and Lib Dems formed the new government.

Does anyone remember, the idea of ID cards was brought up during the Blair government years, but it was dropped because people objected quite a lot.

I also understand volver’s worries but I don’t share them. I think it’s all a moot point anyway as I don’t think we’ll be having ID cards anytime soon.

ID cards system seem to work well in countries where they have been arounf for a long time. And the information they carry is limited and has to be available to card holder.

I totally understand Volver's worries about what this Governement is intending to do with them. Discriminate as regards future private health care. And as she says, the intention of Conservatives to manipulate elections, Constituencies, and eliminate the poorer and most vulnerable from voting rights. A real concern and no conspiracy theory.

There are rarely real conspiracies, they are always too difficult to set up. Not worth the effort.

Reality rules OK 👌

Maybe I’m naïve but I really don’t buy into conspiracy theories. By the way I haven’t got my fingers in my ears and neither I nor anyone else wants to hear my singing, La La La or otherwise.
I’m not sure I’m going to vote in the next election anyway, voter ID or not, because I’m disillusioned with all of them. I might spoil my ballot paper though.

www.electoral-reform.org.uk/campaigns/upgrading-our-democracy/voter-id/

(Fingers in ears and singing la-la-la won't make it all go away)

No, possibly because it doesn’t exist.
Are there not enough real problems in life without people inventing conspiracy/ scare stories.

Well, voter suppression.

Hadn't you noticed?

What do you imagine ‘they are really up to’?

Perhaps that nice Ms Sturgeon will introduce ID cards if Scotland is ever independent Volver grin and wants to be like France and other European countries.Wouldn't that be ironic.

Ironic and miraculous. Scotland and most of the people who live here know the meaning of human rights. Unlike many of the people on this thread. We've said "no thank you" to voter ID for Scottish elections too, because we know what they're really up to.

Was that really necessary? No it wasn't.

Perhaps that nice Ms Sturgeon will introduce ID cards if Scotland is ever independent Volver and wants to be like France and other European countries.Wouldn't that be ironic.
All this ID subject is conjecture only so nobody need get hot under the collar just yet.What it boils down to is some do not mind the idea, think it a good one even, and some hate the idea of it.

I’d never say that, but . . .
It’s easy for me to say I’m not bothered because I don’t need an ID card, but what about the groups who do, some of whom have been mentioned.
What do you suggest for them?

If you've got nothing to hide...

Do people not see the bizarre nature of telling certain sections of society that the way to get police to stop picking on them unfairly is for them to give up some of their rights?

There's a lot of misunderstanding about what an ID Card is.

And if one more person says "If you've got nothing to hide..." 😭

I think they can track us anyway!

They can read everything we post on GN and social media, listen to all our conversations, read all our messages. They don't need us to have an ID card to know all about us.

There’s an unfair penalty for lots of things, like having to pay more for needing to use a prepayment meter for your fuel or more for your phone because you can’t have a direct debit or you can't afford a passport.
It’s easy for me to say I’m not bothered because I don’t need an ID card, but what about the groups who do, some of whom have been mentioned.
What do you suggest for them?

Late MIL couldn't see the point of spending money renewing passport or driving licence as she got older, and since she did not have a gun licence either her decisions led to endless hassle.

No objection to ID cards, but would bridle at being required by law to carry one on all occasions, subject to a penalty.