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Analysis: ID cards through the backdoor?

Wed Dec 03 02:04PM

There are many rules in politics. One, which has stood the test of time, is: 'If you can't convince someone of something, put it in a minor clause'.

There's every indication the Home Office intends to do that with ID cards today through the immigration and citizenship bill. It looks like rules allowing immigration officers or policemen to check you identity at ports of entry will be extended throughout the country.

There will be no law requiring you to produce a card, but the legislation would have the effect of making it necessary. How do they get away with it? Well, the rules would only apply to people who have entered the UK. So, as long as you've never left the country, you'll be fine. Feel free to laugh.

This is, in essence, a statement of intent. For some time now it appeared the government was backing down slightly on ID cards and the security agenda in general. The home secretary's promise to impose the cards on all airport workers shrivelled up into a pilot scheme for two airports last month. Private coroner's inquests and 42-day detention both bit the dust.

This morning, everything looks different. Private coroner's inquests will almost certainly be found nestling in the coroners and death investigation bill. ID cards in the immigration bill. Lie detector tests for benefit cheats are on the welfare reform agenda. It seems civil liberties activists, who yesterday thought they had had a relatively successful year, now have every reason to stay active.

The reason analysts are reading so much into this minor clause is because of how far it goes. At no point has anyone in government supporting ID cards admitted British citizens would be forced to provide them on demand in the street, but that is exactly what the clause would do. Refusing the demand could see you landed with a £500 fine or even a prison sentence of up to 51 weeks.

The response was instantaneous. "Sneaking in compulsory identity cards via the back door of immigration law is a cynical escalation of this expensive and intrusive scheme," said Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti.

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "Ministers seem to be breaking their promise that no one would ever have to carry an ID card. This is a sly and underhand way of extending the ID card scheme by stealth."

Tory immigration minister Damian Green - yes, that one - said: "This scheme will do nothing to improve our security, may make it worse, and will certainly land the taxpayer with a multi-million bill."

And that's not all. In their submission on the bill during consultation, campaign group No2ID highlighted several other ugly aspects.

"NO2ID believes the draft bill represents a massive change to common law rights and culture disguised as codification. It includes provisions which, if implemented, would have serious consequences not only for people from other countries living in or visiting the UK, but also British citizens," they told MPs.

Clause one of the bill makes entry to the UK wholly dependent on identification, rather than your British citizenship. Lose it, or have the government invalidate it, and you will find yourself in legal limbo.

"Though committee members might consider casual incompetence or fraud more likely, the effect for the individual would be the same," No2ID said.

If your documents fail - say because the microchip in the passport ceases to function - you could be deemed not to have entered the UK under clause 22. Suddenly you can be legally 'returned' to whichever country you were last in or held in an immigrant detention centre without remedy. This isn't as unlikely as you might think. The microchip in the new all-singing, all-dancing biometric passport has a two-year manufacturer's warranty. The passport is meant to last for ten.

This is what the Home Office had to say: "It is simply wrong to claim there are any plans whatsoever to make identity cards compulsory for British citizens or to require British citizens to have an ID card at all times and present it when asked. To maintain effective immigration control it is only right that we ask everyone attempting to enter the UK to produce a valid identity document."

The question is, do you believe them?

Ian Dunt

Comments61 - 70 of 84

Bugger all the politicians. Why cant we get our voices heard? Why doesn't anyone listen.
Who are we anyway? We count for nothing except a source of income and derision.
Its our country not theirs.Stand up for what we want.

From rogerbmiles on Thu Dec 04 12:34PM
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Why comment it only proves that the people of this country have no say in its goverment.

From olsbill on Thu Dec 04 01:04PM
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Anyone seen a film called "Brazil" by Terry Gilliam about a paperwork obsessed version of an Orwellian type future? It gets more recognisable every day. Too much faith in a piece of paperwork to prove who we are is the real problem and if anyone does fall off the map they won't be able to get back on again. They couldn't even spell my name right when I renewed my passport and it's only 3 letters!. The rigmorole of getting that sorted was horrendous. I have no faith in the systems that would be responsible for I.D. cards.

From rotherbird on Thu Dec 04 10:21PM
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We are living in a @#$% police state. The UK population is so brainwashed, that it never questions anything. We have almost have no freedoms whatsoever, but everything is so subtly done by the government, that many people are not noticing it. Walk around London for a day..you will end up on no less than 300 CCTV's..why? I'm not a criminal. Drive over 30mph then will will be caught on static speed trap, or worse still by a sly police officer who has nothing better to do than hide in the back of his van (with blacked out windows).
ID cards?? don't make me laugh! 30.000.000 pieces of government information about you and me ..were lost or stolen within recent years.
Financial crisis? Get out of Iraq.£100.000.000 a year saved. Get out of Afganistan another £100.000.000 saved. We have increased terrorism by being in these countries. Get rid of nuclear arms (they don't stop terrorists), cancel the two aircraft carriers that are being built (£10.000.000 each).
Come on people WAKE UP, stop watching brain deadening soaps and reality programs on TV, and stop reading politically biased tabloid newspapers which constantly sensationalise and distort the truth...the government want you to watch this @#$%, that way you will NEVER questiion their modus operandi.
I love my country, but I'm very sad to see our freedoms and liberties being eroded at an alarming pace.

From demam2004 on Fri Dec 05 03:40PM
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We are living in a @#$% police state. The UK population is so brainwashed, that it never questions anything. We have almost have no freedoms whatsoever, but everything is so subtly done by the government, that many people are not noticing it. Walk around London for a day..you will end up on no less than 300 CCTV's..why? I'm not a criminal. Drive over 30mph then will will be caught on static speed trap, or worse still by a sly police officer who has nothing better to do than hide in the back of his van (with blacked out windows).
ID cards?? don't make me laugh! 30.000.000 pieces of government information about you and me ..were lost or stolen within recent years.
Financial crisis? Get out of Iraq.£100.000.000 a year saved. Get out of Afganistan another £100.000.000 saved. We have increased terrorism by being in these countries. Get rid of nuclear arms (they don't stop terrorists), cancel the two aircraft carriers that are being built (£10.000.000 each).
Come on people WAKE UP, stop watching brain deadening soaps and reality programs on TV, and stop reading politically biased tabloid newspapers which constantly sensationalise and distort the truth...the government want you to watch this @#$%, that way you will NEVER questiion their modus operandi.
I love my country, but I'm very sad to see our freedoms and liberties being eroded at an alarming pace.

From demam2004 on Fri Dec 05 03:41PM
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very intresting and very informative article, and no i dont believe them

From bush719 on Fri Dec 05 05:30PM
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What's wrong with ID cards, we have passports! so if you're that afraid
clear off to another country which does not require them, Zimbabwe perhaps.
I have worked in many foreign countries and had to carry either an aliens
registration Card or an Id card, this was no problem, and in fact gave me
security regarding banking and employment.Why we do not carry an Id card
that would be for driving,employment, nat.ins. etc etc.just like the states
it would save time and expense and allow the crack down on crime, plus we ALL
should have our DNA sent to a central database (scotland yard ) to assist also!!
Difficult if you have something sinister to hide of course!!!!!!!!!

From gpsmeaton on Fri Dec 05 08:29PM
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ID cards will help nothing; a large number of people carrie ID already in the form of a driving licence or work pass; putting more information on a chip in the middle will just make the cards more expensive and less reliable.
I carry an ID at all times - it gives my name and an emergency contact number; surely that's enough?

From darrenspence1 on Fri Dec 05 08:53PM
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id cards are the first step,micro chip implant 2nd.you pathetic morons who are willing too be id in this way, many of you will live to regret.for those who have eyes and a functioning brain, i ask,iff you could not do a job of work reasonably well would your employer keep you on,of course not.SO WHY DO YOU NOT GO TO LONDON AND KICK THEM OUT, BY FORCE.YOU ARE THEIR EMPLOYER.

From oraclenewsboy on Sat Dec 06 01:55AM
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i really can't understand how on earth they can expect the british born people to except these id's as if we where aliens to the country,where are we supposed to get all this money from to do this???? they made a bull's up with csa, and the taxes now trying to get the good british people who love their country to prove they are english it's disgusting, why cant they take a drop in wages and put their money to good use and spend it on things this country really needs (like stopping the resession) well i oppose to this id scam just to line their pockets even more. I was proud to be british once upon a time but like dreams that has faded.

From nikki2605 on Sat Dec 06 09:31AM
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