Identity Cards - of interest to UK citizens only

[BobHelm]

Long time back the Government announced a decision to make an ID card compulsory for UK citizens.
Personally I was not a happy bunny about this. I have a passport that contains all sorts of information & I have a photo driving licence & I have a paper driving licence. So the prospect of having to pay 30 GBP for a compulsory ID card was not a sensible way for me to spend my money.
All has gone very quiet on this front for a long time. So I was interested when I saw a mention of it on a Yahoo news feed I get today. The Yahoo item was very vague so I went to the BBC (favourite source of news material ). I could not find anything current on BBC so did a search & came up with this which may be of interest. It is from 2nd. July so reasonably current. (The Yahoo bit was about the Manchester Airport Scheme- which seems to be dying on its' feet).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3127696.stm
A couple of good points stood out to me.
1. You can 'opt out' of having a card when getting a passport.
2. The idea of a 'retina scan' for passports seems to have been discontinued.
I am still concerned that there do seem to be plans to sneak it in by the back door. It is a poorly conceived idea badly executed and should be officially scrapped tomorrow!!!

[trubrit]

I think its already gone out the window Bob.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -turn.html

[BobHelm]

Thanks for the link TB... Sadly not gone yet
No longer compulsory BUT Passport holders have to physically opt out (for example). Mr. Clarke says that if the voluntary stage ever reached 80% then it would become compulsory. Percentage of UK citizens who own a passport...80%... not a co-incidence I fear
That was what I meant by 'sneaking in through the back door'. I think that everybody (except a few in the cabinet) can see it is a waste of money all around - I wish they would just officially can it...

[trubrit]

Bob . If you read that link again they said"Previously it was going to be compulsory once 80% was reached"
Now they are saying"It will NEVER be compulsory". Don't worry if the Norwich result was anything to go by they won't be around long enough to implement anything.

[trubrit]

Another day, another story.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8175139.stm

[BobHelm]

A poll of 1,731 adults across the UK, conducted by human rights campaign group Liberty, suggested six out of 10 people were unlikely to volunteer for a card.

I'm with the 6 & will not be rushing out to purchase a worthless piece of plastic......how about you TB???

[trubrit]

A poll of 1,731 adults across the UK, conducted by human rights campaign group Liberty, suggested six out of 10 people were unlikely to volunteer for a card.

I'm with the 6 & will not be rushing out to purchase a worthless piece of plastic......how about you TB???

Well as an emigres Bob. I can't see much point in proving my citizenship of the once "Great Britain" By choosing to live my life abroad I have renounced most of my birth rights . I am no longer eligible for cost of living increases to my pension. I do not get the Xmas bonus. I am forcibly removed from my GP's register of patients. I would have to apply for treatment under the national health service, should I return and need it.I would not get any asisstance with housing, as my lifetimes savings would preclude me from it. Most of these things are freely available to those newly arrived on our shores that haven't even put a single penny in the exchequer. On top of that I am still deducted income tax at source, at the rate of 20% on taxable income.Can't really see the benefit of having a card to prove my citizenship . Can You? For free its a No No . To have to pay??
I do not understand the voluntary element. Surely if everyone doesn't have one it will be pointless.What happens if you are asked to produce the card at any time. Sorry officer I am one of the 60% that opted out? What then?
The other aspect I find particularity annoying. It will not have the British Union flag on it. Some say to prevent annoying certain elements of society. Instead it will have a proxy flower symbol, in our case a rose, for the Welsh, a daffodil, the Scots, a thistle and presumably a shamrock for the Irish. Though how the latter will go down with those south of the border, I don't know.In conclusion I would say this is another ,amongst many other , cock ups instigated by the current bunch of lay abouts masquerading as politicians.

[Fawn]

ID cards? Ain't gonna happen. Just like the Government shelving privatisation plans for the GPO the other day, this lot talk a good game but rarely come up with results.

How many days has the One Eyed Idiot got left?

[wazza]

Jeremy PLSSSSSS