Government replied to the petition commencing:
We will introduce a digital ID within this Parliament to help tackle illegal migration, make accessing government services easier, and enable wider efficiencies. We will consult on details soon.
And they claimed that Jeremy Corbyn was an obsessed ideologue…
NO2ID looks forward to a genuine consultation without preconceived outcomes. And, given the scope of the ID scheme, the consultation really must include the devolved administrations. Those in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales may have something to say about its initial “BritCard” branding, so beloved of Mr Blair. Unfortunately, quotes from Labour’s Blairites confirm their belief that ideologues never listen. We shall see.
“To help tackle illegal migration” in this case means ‘papers’ being checked for everyone, treating British citizens in the same way we treat every other resident of the UK – lawful or unlawful – while limiting ways to access the public services that lawful residents pay for.
Mr Starmer’s initial announcement was limited to giving British citizens the ability to access the “share code” system already used by lawful migrants. There’s no need to have a digital ID cards database to give those who want one access to a share code from their Universal Credit account, their Passport, or from Driving License systems. Nothing about this system is required to “streamline the process for employers, driving up compliance” – it is simply about political will, and Mr Blair has decided what he wants from the current Government.
Primary legislation has to be written down, then debated, then passed, and only then implemented. We sincerely hope the Civil Service Code is being enforced, and that nothing ultra vires is being done in advance. (It’s possible Mr Blair admires multiple things about Mr Trump.)
The Database State never learns, though sometimes new people think it’ll be different if they’re the ones running the all seeing databases. In order to function, databases have to persist beyond any single administration. Databases degrade over time, and must be maintained to survive. Political winds can also change, of course – and hard drives can always be tossed into a grinder…
If you want to be seen as trustworthy, you must demonstrate that you are competent, honest, and reliable.
We have gone through the Government’s petition response section by section here.
NO2ID (www.no2id.uk) welcomes donations – and if journalists would like to check the facts before defaming people on TV, then NO2ID will always take that call.
[Picture credit: SA Mathieson. If you want an image, please use this Creative Commons one.]
