Britain to scrap national ID cards, national registry with biometric data, photographs, fingerprints

[charlesg]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-britain-id-cards-20100528,0,2704303.story

Britain's new government moves to scrap ID cards
By Janet Stobart, Special to the Los Angeles Times
May 27, 2010

Britain's new government announced Thursday that its first major legislation will be a bill to scrap a controversial and costly plan to introduce national identification cards.

"ID cards will be gone in a 100 days," Home Secretary Theresa May said at a news conference. May said the government would save more than $1 billion in the next decade by canceling the cards and the corresponding national registry. The cards contain biometric data, photographs and fingerprints.

"But this isn't just about saving money," May said, "It's also about principle.... We did believe there was a liberties argument for not enforcing ID cards on the British people."

Identity cards were first proposed in 2002 by the then-ruling Labor Party as part of efforts to fight fraud, crime and illegal immigration. The plan drew heavy criticism from civil liberties groups as an intrusion into the privacy of citizens...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. tfh

:tinfoilhat:

[aquart]

2. And when will we do that?

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Good. Now if only the U. S. would can REAL ID. n/t

[SoCalNative]

4. They basically pretty much have

it's not being actively enforced and Napolitano is on record as wanting to scrap it completely.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. "Basically" isn't the same -- scrap it officially. n/t

[Greyhound]

5. Sanity contaminates Britain!? Looks like it might be time to export

some 'democracy' to those hippies...

[earth mom]

7. Wow this is fantastic news!

:wow:

Had to pick up my jaw from the floor because it was so surprising, but I'm so happy to see this!

Wonder if they will scrap all those god damn cameras that are all over the place in the UK too?


And it's too bad that we must continue to fight this kind of big brother crap here in the states! :argh:

[Scurrilous]

8. Good news.

:thumbsup:

[Pab Sungenis]

9. I'll bet this was part of the LibDems' demands for forming a coalition.

If so, maybe the British Election might have brought about something good.

[arbusto_baboso]

11. That was my thought as well.

We might get a real sane, centrist government in the UK out of all this, instead of the ersatz-Labour party that's been scamming everyone for the last decade.

[Hannah Bell]

10. good.

but i'll bet it's scrapped because it would have been a focal point for a big push-back.

[eridani]

12. Gilbert and Sullivan to the rescue!

http://eclectech.co.uk/clarkeidcards.php

The world today is filled with villains stealing one's identity
And terrorists intent on acts of violent extremity
Our citizens are prisoners, our criminals at liberty
Our nation at the mercy of felonious proclivity
Our very own Home Secretary will rebuild our society
A model of sagaciousness and picture of propriety
It's patent that protection of the future of humanity
Relies on Mr Clarke to put an end to this insanity!

[On the Road]

13. Wow -- The Future is Here