Kenilworth and Southam Liberal Democrats

Rugby against ID Cards?

A recent Survey carried out by the Liberal Democrats in parts of the new, larger, Rugby Caldecott County Council Division shows that, if given the choice, voters would prefer to have more Police rather than ID Cards.

Householders were asked the following question -

"It is estimated it would cost £3 billion to introduce a national ID card scheme. Would you prefer the money to be spent on ID Cards or more police?"

Cllr Chris Holman [Lib Dem Caldecott] revealed that -

"The people we surveyed clearly agreed with the Liberal Democrats and 69% of the responses were overwhelmingly in favour spending the money on more Police to keep our streets safe rather than introducing ID Cards."

Chris Holman added -

"The estimated cost of introducing an ID Card system has now probably risen to nearer £5 billion. Governments, whether Labour or Conservative, have an appalling record of failures and cost overruns on the introduction of new computer systems. Who knows how much an ID Card system will cost eventually and how long it will take to become reliable?

But these are, of course, just the headline costs to the government. What of the hidden costs that will have to be found by the rest of us? It is expected to cost a further £85 for the privilege? of having one of these cards. So, as we would all be required to have one, that could be a further £5 billion for us to pay. [£85 per person for 60 million population.]

And we shall all have to present ourselves at a Police Station, or the Town Hall to be photographed and fingerprinted.

And every businesses, pub and Post Office who needs to check our ID will have to buy a card reader at several hundred pounds each."

Chris Holman continued -

"The debate on this issue has just started at Westminster and those in favour of cards keep quoting polls that ask the simple question for or against ID Cards. But, unlike our survey, none of the pollsters are giving respondents the chance to express a preference for how the money should be spent, whether on more Police or on ID Cards. It would be interesting to know how that would change the answers."

But the key question the proponents of cards have to answer is - "Will an ID Card system achieve what is claimed for it?"

All the 9/11 terrorists had a "valid ID Card", as, no doubt, did the Madrid bombers despite ID cards being compulsory for Spanish citizens. And as soon as the system comes in ne'er-do-wells will surely set up a whole new "industry" producing forged cards and if the dodgy card doesn't register on a card reader it will probably just be put down to "a computer glitch. How much safer does that make us?"

Chris Holman pointed out -

"Michael Howard has recently been converted to the pro-Card camp but he seems to be flying in the face of opinion amongst Tory voters in Caldecott. In our survey, two thirds of those who said they would vote Tory prefer more Police to ID Cards."

Chris Holman concluded -

Only the Liberal Democrats can be relied on to challenge government policies. ID cards are a waste of money. They will not make Britain safer. The people they would inconvenience would be law abiding citizens going about their daily business who would be subject to interference by government busy-bodies. That is why in 1952 Winston Churchill decided to abolish them once and for all from our national life."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The survey was carried out door to door in various parts of the Bilton and Overslade areas - Hillfield, Plexfield and Wheatfield Roads in Bilton, Buchanan and Mellish Roads on the Overslade estate, Shakespeare Gardens, Rupert Brooke, Macaulay and Ratliffe Roads in the Shakespeare Gardens area and Macbeth Close, Cordelia Way and Capulet Close on the Woodlands estate.

Residents filled out the forms and returned them, either by hanging them out of the their letterboxes for collection later in the evening, or by post.

A total of over 550 houses were surveyed representing nearly 1100 voters. Responses were received from 32% of the houses called on.

The Liberal Democrat position on ID Cards "10 reasons to oppose ID cards" is available on their national website via the following link.

http://www.libdems.org.uk/index.cfm/page.homepage/section.home/article.6599

The Liberal Democrat MPs voted against the Second Reading of the ID Card Bill on 20th December.

A statement of voting intention was given on 90% of survey forms returned.

Results by voting intention

In favour of more Police

rather than ID Cards

Overall 69%

Liberal Democrat 77%

Conservative 67%

Labour 48%

Unlike Michael Howard, some Tories realise the Liberal Democrats are getting it right -

"For the first time I shall vote for the Liberal Democrats, because they do understand that the identity card debate is about the just role of government, and I suspect tens of thousands of instinctive Conservatives will do the same next year."

Stephen Robinson - Daily Telegraph - 21 December

And his former Leader - the "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher no less - has said she thinks that they are "a Germanic concept completely alien to this country"