Queens speech

What are the ID cards for, please?

Still asking. So far, answers are just Police Checks and as an alternative to passports.

Not convinced.

Can’t see a problem with ID cards. As other posters have already said we have to have them for driving licences, passports etc.

I didn't ..in Labour run Wales

Kali2

oh but everyone has a Driving Licence, don't they !!! (not)

My late mother never learnt to drive as she was epileptic, so she had no driving licence. She didn't have a pasport as she hadn't been abroad since being widowed. I guess her bus pass would have done the trick but if she had been disenfranchised she would have been up in arms, and her protests would not have been silent!

Police checks. That's a good start.

Show me your papers.....what are you doing around here?

Police checks, and in Europe, for crossing borders in and out and for flying to other EU countries- no passport required.

I know how Google works.

I'm wondering what people here think they are for.

Alegrias1

Nobody's answered yet about what ID cards are actually for. Not Voter ID, actual ID cards.

What do other countries use them for? Many countries have them, care to look it up?

Driving licence as well.

It would be up to you mouse to have an up to date photo in any photo ID, just as you would a passport.
Other countries seem to manage well having ID, and at times we all have to present it, passport, bus pass, library card etc.
I can’t see a problem at all.

PITA = Pain in the A***

What’s PITA?

Photo ID is open to all sorts of abuse. I looked at my bus pass today (photo from 9 years ago) and I have dyed hair and look young and vigorous whereas in real life I am grey and withered! Polling officers, not liking the look of my political opinions, say I was wearing a Labour rosette, could turn me away on the grounds that I looked nothing like my photo.

I wonder how actively the sentinent animals thing will be pushed. The last straw for fox hunting and the like, his landed cronies won't be pleased...

A very small step from issuing everyone with an ID card and then requiring them to carry it at all times. I've lived in countries where this happens; it's a complete PITA. Plus, of course, once your card can be withdrawn, it's a huge step towards a police state.

Nobody's answered yet about what ID cards are actually for. Not Voter ID, actual ID cards.

Fair enough. I'd like to volunteer please, to have a small video camera implanted into my forehead. After all, one day I might be involved in a criminal act and so by acting now the authorities will be able to track me at all times and know when I do something that they have decided is wrong. You'll all need to have one as well, of course.

If we give away our civil liberties it will come back to bite us.

I agree Pippa that we sometimes use ‘the upper house’ but not formally. The Queen addresses the Lords the master of the rod gains entrance of the Lords by the Commons. They are the words used.
Ps agree ID cards are good idea with name age address and sex of person (not their gender which relies too much on sexual stereotypes) for fairness and safety.
I am pleased about the sentient animals law too.

You beat me to it, pintuck...

I totally agree pintuck

"Are you really saying that formerly anyone could go into a polling station in the UK and state that she was Mrs Jane Smith of 10 Main Street or Mr John Brown of 19 Bank Street and cast a vote without anyone asking for their social security number?"
In a word: Yes. Those registered to vote are sent Polling Cards through the post, with all their details included, but there is no necessity to bring them along with them, nor to show them.
My (English) district council took part in the trial a couple of years ago, requiring voters to show ID, and I did Presiding Officer duties at my local polling station. There was absolutely overwhelming support for voter ID amongst those who came to vote - and the voter turnout was as normal.

I have worked in polling stations at most elections since the early 70’s. I have always been amazed that the whole voting system in this country is based on trust. You don’t need a polling card to vote (although most people bring theirs). All you need to do is give an address and a name - no proof is needed that you are actually that person. I often wonder how many people voting are not who they say they are, but there is no way of finding that out in our current system. We simply do not know what the scale of voter fraud is in the UK. The few instances where it has been uncovered have been where someone has either admitted it/been overheard talking about it or has been recognised by polling staff as not who they say they are. Many foreign nationals who are allowed to vote in the UK (eg students) try to give us their ID and are astounded when we tell them we don’t need to see it. Although I am no supporter of the current government, particularly their privatisation of the NHS by stealth and mishandling of Covid, I personally have no objection to having to produce photo proof in order to vote - it seems sensible to me. As long as the proof will be provided free to anyone who hasn’t already got it (which is what they say will happen), I don’t see a problem with it.

Alegrias1

So it's not a problem and never has been but it might be one day so we'd better limit civil liberties now just in case?

If it aint broke, don't fix it.

I despair...

25Avalon

MaizieD

Would remainers have been happy to pay (without choice) for everyone in the country to have a pro leave leaflet promoting the benefits of leaving and the awful consequences of remaining?

It would have been an awfully slight pamphlet

I reiterate. The pamphlet put out by the government was supposed to be a pros & cons thing for people to make their own minds up. Like we had in 1973 when we voted on remaining in the EEC.

As usual, being a tory government they got it completely wrong, though the cons. have turned out to be remarkably prescient, apart from the fact that they didn't happen overnight.

But Ted Heath lied to us

How did he lie to us?

So it's not a problem and never has been but it might be one day so we'd better limit civil liberties now just in case?