NO2ID: Charles Clarke, ‘ID cards are about controlling society’
Monday, 05, Sep 2005 12:00
The Home Secretary has admitted that the purpose of ID cards scheme is to control society.
In comments made to the Eastern Daily Press [1] this weekend, the Home Secretary claimed that we already live in 'Big Brother society' and that it is his job to control it, branding civil liberties concerns "ridiculous" and independent costings of the scheme “absurd”. This, despite the fact that the Home Office response to the LSE report has be shown to contain fabricated figures [2].
Phil Booth, NO2ID’s National Coordinator said:
"Mr Clarke’s arguments don’t stand up, and he is now trying to confuse the British public with doublespeak. But this is an important admission. His stated intent to 'control Big Brother society' shows the Government's real agenda: to monitor law-abiding citizens throughout their entire lives. The Government just wants control.
"There may indeed be a lot of databases containing our data, but they are quite rightly kept separate and constrained by law. Giving the Government control of all of them by creating a single index would be both unprecedented and dangerous. It is nothing like any other ID system in Europe.
"ID cards can do nothing to prevent most 'identity fraud'. The claim that they will is itself fraudulent. They could easily make it worse. Again Mr Clarke is twisting language and hoping you won't notice.
"Mr Clarke says concerns are just about cost, and we fully expect him to cap the price of the card itself. But the money for the biggest IT project anywhere in the world still has to come from somewhere. This too is a diversion. Government wants to control your life: of course that will cost you money. But the ultimate cost of the scheme will be in freedom and privacy. And everyone will pay."