ID card warning to Young Londoners

Camden Green Party and the Young Greens are warning young Londoners about the hidden cost and consequences of applying for the new identity (ID) card.

ID cards will soon be targeted at 16- to 24-year-olds in London1 at a cost of £30 each and up to 50 categories of personal and biometric details about applicants will be added to the National Identity Register. These will include finger prints, National Insurance number, current and past addresses and full history of the card’s use. There is little or no practical benefit for young people in having the card over other current forms of ID, as shops, bars and other premises don’t have biometric scanners.

However, even more worrying than wasting the upfront £30, is that while getting a card will be voluntary, once on the National Identity Register, young people will not be able to get off it, will have to keep the register up to date with their personal details for life and not doing so could lead to a fine of up to £1000. Also, the life-time cost to the card holder of updating the register and obtaining replacement cards is completely unknown.

Jonathan Buckner, who is 22 and Youth and Students Officer of the London Green Party, points out that the Government is claiming that the new ID cards will be “particularly helpful for young people who need to prove their age”2, ignoring the fact that driver’s licenses, passports and student cards have served perfectly well in this role for years. ‘Young people have been among the hardest hit by the economic recession. Now it seems that this Labour Government is intent on using young Londoners as the thin end of the wedge; a vulnerable group to be exploited in the advancement of their unpopular national identity scheme. I advise young Londoners to stay well clear.’

Cllr Adrian Oliver3 says, 'The Government has been touting the scheme as a means of reducing crime, combating terrorism and benefit fraud, none of which stands up to scrutiny4. The London School of Economics estimated the costs of the scheme will be between £10 billion and £20 billion5. There is colossal pressure on public finances leading to both cuts in public services and tax increases and yet, here we have another waste of our money which will do nothing to improve our quality of life.'

Green Councillors in Camden will be asking the Council to take a strong stand against the Labour Government's identity card (ID) scheme and National Identity Register in a motion to the Council meeting on Monday, 18th January. Other councils have already adopted non-co-operation polices in relation to the ID card scheme and the Green Party motion calls on Camden to do adopt a similar stance except where doing so would breach existing contracts or be unlawful. More information about the campaign against ID cards is available at www.no2id.net, which also has a report on how local councils will be affected4.

For further information, contact Cllr Adrian Oliver on 07738 081394 or Jonathan Buckner on 07749 403351.

Further Notes

1 The Home Office has confirmed that it will make identity cards available to 16- to 24-year-olds in the capital early in 2010. The offices of the Identity and Passport Service near London's Victoria Station will be open for people in the specified age range to register for a voluntary identity card. http://www.kable.co.uk/london-young-adults-identity-cards-johnson-22dec09

2 http://www.civilrenewal.communities.gov.uk/about-us/news/id-card-rollout-accelerated

3 Adrian Oliver and Maya de Souza, proposer and seconder of the motion, are both Green Party councillors for Highgate ward in the London Borough of Camden.

4 http://www.no2id.net/resources/councillorsBriefing.doc

5 http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/684

Green Party motion to Camden Council meeting on 18 January 2010
Proposed by Cllr Oliver and seconded by Cllr de Souza

Council notes that the Government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce identity (ID) cards and a National Identity Register, with young people in London an initial target. Council further notes that despite arguments by Labour ministers to the contrary, ID cards and the associated database will not prevent crime, terrorism or illegal immigration; that the introduction of ID cards would fundamentally change the relationship between the citizen and the State; that the £10 billion to £20 billion estimated costs of the scheme will add significant pressure to national finances; and that local councils are likely to incur considerable costs in IT and organisational change if the scheme continues to expand.

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. ensure that national identity cards will not be required to access council services or benefits unless specifically required to do so by Act of Parliament;

2. take no part in any pilot scheme or feasibility work in relation to the introduction of the national identity cards;

3. prevent Council property being used for any launch or publicity of the scheme except where doing so would breach existing contracts or be unlawful;

4. only co-operate with the national identity card scheme where to do otherwise would be unlawful;

and requests that the Executive affiliate this Council to the NO2ID campaign.