NO2ID News No. 93

13 March 2008

ID SCHEME - REPACKAGED TO MAXIMISE COERCION

Don't be fooled, contrary to reports in the media, the government is very much pressing ahead with its ID scheme - it has simply repackaged it.

Last Thursday the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith launched the ID scheme 'Delivery Plan', much of which NO2ID had already revealed via annotated leaked documents that have now spread all over the internet. It is clear that the aim is to grab as much data as possible as quickly as possible, to try and coerce or dupe as many people as possible into being enrolled on the ID database (the 'National Identity Register'), with the aim of making universal registration seem inevitable.

To help this plan along the Home Office has repackaged its proposals to hide the less palatable parts of the system. Its approach will be more subtle, less aggressive (except for those who face losing their job if they refuse to be registered) in the hope that they will be fooled into "choosing" a lifelong regime of red tape, fines and inconvenience.

From November, non-EEA (European Economic Area) foreign national students or those on a marriage visa will be compelled to have ID cards. In 2009 airside staff at UK airports will be issued with ID cards - most likely as part of the vetting process, to make it seem like less of a big deal to those affected. Next, young people will be encouraged to sign up "voluntarily", perhaps with pre-filled forms ready to sign and return and a list of alleged benefits if they join the ID club...

This repackaging conceals the reality - once on the National Identity Register, you are on for life. All of the penalties and fines for not keeping your data up to date or accurate will kick in, and you will be numbered forever.

We need to redouble our efforts - get the message out to the government's prime targets such as young people and show that you'd have to be mad to choose to go on the Register. None of the government's benefits hold up and it is trying to hide all of the horrors of the system.

To do all of this we need your help.

- If you haven't already joined NO2ID, please do (an application form can be found at http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/join.php).

- Alternatively you can make a donation to the campaign (see http://www.no2id.net/getInvolved/donate.php).

- Get involved with your local group, or if there isn't one in your area then set one up (see http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/).

- Make the NO2ID pledge - an act of pre-emptive resistance that is entirely legal and encourage others to do the same (more info at http://www.no2id.net/pledge/).

We have to make sure that NOBODY is fooled by the government's sugar-coated spin.

THANKS FOR ID DOSSIER RESPONSES

Many thanks to all of those that responded to our request for volunteers willing to send us information on the questions being asked by the Identity & Passport Service (IPS) when applying for a first adult passport. We still need more information. Since we asked for people to come forward in the last newsletter we are now able to offer even better advice as to how to obtain information. If you are applying for your first UK passport or if you've been called in for interview then you can help. Please contact passports@no2id.net

What's next?

8th April - NO2ID LONDON MAYORAL HUSTINGS

Tuesday, 8th April 7pm at Friends House, 173 Euston Road NW1 2BJ. NO2ID is holding hustings among the candidates for Mayor of London to discover their positions on The Database State. How do candidates feel about the civil liberties and privacy implications of, among other things, the Oyster Card, congestion charging, telephone parking? Would they support or oppose national ID schemes as mayor? What is their attitude to the database state? Prospective candidates Gerrard Batten (UKIP), Sian Berry (Green), Lindsay German (Respect), Boris Johnson (Conservative), and Brian Paddick (LibDem) have indicated interest in participating already.

Anyone willing and available to volunteer as a steward at the hustings event please contact office@no2id.net.

28th March - NORTH WEST INFORMAL MEETING

There will be an informal North West regional meeting on Friday, 28th March in Liverpool. Contact liverpool@no2id.net for more information

SOUTH WEST AND SOUTH WALES REGIONAL MEETING

There will be a South West and South Wales regional meeting for local groups in the region in late April. Location and details to be confirmed.

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS - London office

We need help running our office in London. If you live in London and have a few hours to spare regularly during the week please volunteer to join the staff rota helping with the vital clerical work to support the campaign. If you can help please contact the office if you can help (office@no2id.net).

Local groups news

We now have local groups in 44 of the 69 proposed locations for interrogation centres - of which just 3 have yet to open. Parliamentary answers indicate that the most active centres are: Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Peterborough and Sheffield.

As of the end of January 2008, 22 of the centres had performed fewer than 10 interrogations. There may still be time to apply for your first adult passport without being called in for an official grilling - but, if you are, your details still won't be going onto the National Identity Register. It isn't built yet.

For information on your nearest interrogation centre, see www.no2id.net/getInvolved/idCentres.php. If you can help set up a local group in one of the remaining locations, or anywhere else in the UK, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net

+ Birmingham +

The Birmingham NO2ID group held their first meeting on Monday 25th February. Turnout was high with all attendees demonstrating enthusiasm and a strong commitment to raising awareness in the city of the implications of the ID card scheme and National Identity Register. The group discussed the reasons for their opposition to ID cards and the Register and potential future activities including leafleting, a DVD screening and a practical workshop looking at how to structure letters of protest.

31st March - Birmingham NO2ID Meeting
Monday, 31st March 7.30pm at the Mac (Midlands Arts Centre). All welcome to attend.

+ Cambridge +

29th March - NO2ID Cambridge Stall
Saturday, 29th March at 10am in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall. Location Map: http://tinyurl.com/eo42r. As ever, volunteers to help very welcome - please email cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624 if you can make it.

2nd April - Cambridge NO2ID pub meeting (1st Wednesday of each month)
Wednesday, 2nd April 7.30pm at the Salisbury Arms, 76 Tenison Rd, Cambridge CB1 2DW. Map: (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=cb1+2dw). For more details contact cambridge@no2id.net, or text/call Andrew on 07710 469624.

3rd May - Cambridge NO2ID benefit gig
Saturday, 3rd May from 8pm, at The Locomotive, 44 Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AS. The line-up: Mousse - The Grisettes - Allotment. Admission £4 - proceeds go to support NO2ID's London HQ. Many thanks to the bands for contributing their time and talents: http://tinyurl.com/28da7v http://tinyurl.com/2z6z4n http://tinyurl.com/yv6cwl

+ Canterbury +

22nd March - Canterbury NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 22nd March 10am onwards on Canterbury High Street. If anyone would like to get involved please contact canterbury@no2id.net or call Caz on 07792567087.

+ Dorking +

We are now 3 months old. Regular meetings occur on the 1st Tuesday every month. Our first street stall will be held on Good Friday in Dorking High Street. Future events include a public showing of the film �Taking Liberties�, further street stalls, and a large scale public meeting later in the year. Other medium term projects include an approach to the Local Council to pass a motion of non-cooperation with ID Cards and the National Identity Register. Contact: Geoff Cox 01306 631377.

+ Edinburgh +

Jamie Hepburn MSP talks to Edinburgh group
Last week, Scottish National Party MSP Jamie Hepburn addressed NO2ID Edinburgh as part of the group's series of presentations by members of the Scottish Parliament talking about their position on ID cards. Hepburn is the convener of the parliamentary cross-party group on Human Rights and Civil Liberties, who had led for the SNP in the Scottish Parliament Civil Liberties debate in December. He gave a strong reprise of his speech there. Incidentally that anti-ID card motion was carried 64-1 with 60 Labour and Conservative members abstaining, the former shamefully interpreting opposition to ID cards simply as an attack on the Labour Party.

Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh street stall
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John(edinburgh@no2id.net), and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/

+ Glasgow +

Most Saturdays 2pm - NO2ID Glasgow Street Stall
Most Saturdays there are stalls in Glasgow city centre (usually Buchanan Street) from about 2pm. Volunteers are always welcome, please contact Geraint if you would like to help: glasgow@no2id.net

+ Hackney +

2nd April - Hackney NO2ID Meeting
Wednesday, 2nd April 7pm at the Pembury Tavern as usual, for around an hour-and-a-half. If you have any ideas for activities, come to the meeting (or email hackney@no2id.net, if you can't make it).

+ Leeds +

15h March - Leeds NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 15th March 1pm on Brigate (the big pedestrianised street with McDonalds, Debenhams and M&S on it). Meet at 1pm outside Alliance and Leicester, everybody welcomed with open arms! If you don't want to be on the stall, come along and have a chat.

20th March - Leeds NO2ID Meeting
Thursday, 20th March 7pm at the Victoria Inn, 28 Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3BB (http://www.itchyleeds.co.uk/venue/198436/The-Victoria-Inn.html). Contact number for anyone who gets lost: 07843 098091 (Nadine).

+ Liverpool +

29th March - Public Meeting, Liverpool
Saturday, 29th March in central Liverpool. Details to follow. Contact liverpool@no2id.net for more information.

+ Manchester +

Manchester Students Against ID has relaunched for the 2008/2009 academic year, and pledges to bring the fight against the Database State to the highest levels of Manchester University. Meetings to be announced, see http://manchester.no2id.net/students for details.

20th March - Preston NO2ID Meeting,
Thursday, 20th March 2008, 7:30pm-9pm at the Bluebell on Church Street. Former Preston co-ordinator Tia Purple and Manchester co-ordinator Dave Page will be present to help answer any questions about running a local group or the campaign in general.

12th April - Manchester NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 12th April 2pm-4pm in St. Ann's Square. We'll be running a Saturday afternoon stall to raise awareness among the public and engage people in discussion about the National Identity Register. We'll meet in the square itself at 2pm to set up shop; feel free to join us to lend a hand or just chat. You don't need any experience or equipment, just a bit of time to spare and a friendly smile!

+ Oxford +

29th March - Oxford NO2ID Street Stall
Saturday, 29th March in Cornmarket, Oxford. Can you spare us an hour or so to hand out leaflets, talk to people or in other ways help out? Contact oxford@no2id.net for more information.

+ Redbridge +

31st March - Redbridge NO2ID Planning Meeting
Monday, 31st March 7.30pm at Ilford Town Hall, ground floor meeting room. The purpose of the meeting is to plan future events for the Redbridge NO2ID campaign. One of the main proposals is a film show of the feature film 'Taking Liberties.' Any other ideas will be most welcome. For further details of the meeting or to discuss the campaign please feel free to contact Paul Kaufman at redbridge@no2id.net or call 07801 429782.

+ Scarborough +

13th March - Inaugural Meeting Scarborough NO2ID group
Thursday, 13th March 7.30 pm at Sigma, under The Cask Inn on Cambridge Terrace, Scarborough

+ Selby +

18th March - First meeting of Selby NO2ID
Tuesday March 18th 8pm at the Blue Bell, Monk Fryston,

+ Southampton +

Report from Southampton NO2ID
We have had a busy couple of weeks. In the wake of the government announcements we were successful in getting interviews on Wave 105 FM and Radio Solent. Student members are working on forming a University Club so that we can canvass and agitate on Campus. Letters and information packs including a pledge, a survey form and a draft council motion, have been sent out to all Southampton, Eastleigh and Test Valley councillors. Contacts from this have revealed that the Chief Constable of Hampshire is against ID Cards and Conservatives are putting an anti-ID card motion to Southampton full council meeting this week. We will be pressing the councillors to support this motion and will continue to work to raise the issue of ID Cards at the May local government elections.

2nd April Southampton NO2ID Meeting
Wednesday, 2nd April at 8:00pm at the Dolphin pub in St Denys, Southampton

+ Southwark +

22nd March - Southwark NO2ID at the Synergy Centre
Synergy has been an enthusiastic supporter of NO2ID. On 22nd March, Southwark NO2ID is invited to participate in an event entitled �Indigenous People�, to be held at The Synergy Centre, 220 Farmers Road, Camberwell SE5, from 9pm until 7am. Entry £10, £7 advance, £7 concessions, £5 before 10pm. This is a fundraising event so please do come along and support the event as well as NO2ID. More details on the website www.thesynergycentre.org.

Are you interested in volunteering for events previously listed in the newsletter for 18th April, 19th April and 26th April?

Volunteers are still required for these events so if you can spare a few hours to help man the stall, please contact Judith at southwark@no2id.net

What just happened?

+ Government release multiple ID reports +

In the last fortnight the government released a slew of ID card reports and policy documents. They are clearly trying to swamp the public with an excess of information and burying bad news, whilst try to rebrand their ID scheme. Don't be fooled, the ID scheme and the National Identity Register are as bad as ever.
ID scheme delivery plan: http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/national-identity-scheme-delivery-2008.pdf
ID cards for foreign nationals: http://tinyurl.com/2foy49
Crosby Review of ID scheme: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/6/7/identity_assurance060308.pdf
Home Secretary's speech to Demos: http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/secretary-speech-2008-03-06.pdf

+ Crosby Review finally released +

The government has finally released the so called Crosby review of the government's ID scheme. The report entitled 'Challenges and opportunities
in identity assurance' is authored by Sir James Crosby, former chief executive of banking group HBOS. The Crosby review began in September 2006, was due by Easter 2007, was then "being finalised" in early July, then due "late summer" 2007 etc. When it was finally released last week the government just happened to release their ID scheme delivery plan at the same time. Crosby criticises the government's approach to ID and suggests an alternative ID system, that many have described as a banker's vision of an ID scheme.
For more details see http://www.no2id.net/newsblog/?p=792

+ NO2IDs media coverage around the country+

Last week as the government released their ID scheme delivery plan NO2ID groups around the country were able to get media coverage all over the country. Local groups worked together to get press releases out prior to the announcement and fielded radio, press and TV interviews on the day of the delivery plan's release. Well done to all of those in the local groups involved in handling the media. Early indications suggest that NO2ID got around 700 media mentions, the number of web visitors shot up considerably as did requests for information and newsletter sign ups. Clearly a lot of people weren't taken in by the government's spin.

"ID" in the news

+ Government fails to sell ID concept - Computing 13/3/08 +
On the afternoon that home secretary Jacqui Smith announced the latest changes to ID cards, the Treasury-commissioned Crosby study was also quietly released after months of delays � Computing was leaked details of its contents as long ago as last August.
http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/analysis/2211739/government-fails-sell-id-3888104

+ MoD loses 11,000 ID cards - The Register 12/3/08 +
The Ministry of Defence has lost 11,000 military ID cards in the last two years, the government has admitted to parliament.Although this seems like a paltry loss compared to the 25m records lost by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, it is still rather a lot, particularly when you consider the armed forces amount to less than 200,000 souls in all.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/12/mod_loses_id_cards/

+ Backlash over airport workers ID card plans - Travel Weekly 12/3/08 +
British Air Transport Association secretary-general Roger Wiltshire accused the Home Office of using airport workers as guinea pigs.
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2008/03/12/26951/backlash-over-airport-workers-id-card-plans.html

+ Speaker Michael Martin uses 319-year-old law to gag reports on the failing ID card scheme - Daily Mail 9/3/08 +
Commons speaker Michael Martin is using a 319-year-old law designed to protect freedom of speech to try to stop the publication of Home Office reports on the failing ID card scheme.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=528738&in_page_id=1770

+ Heathrow airport first to fingerprint - The Telegraph 8/3/08 +
Millions of British airline passengers face mandatory fingerprinting before being allowed to board flights when Heathrow�s Terminal 5 opens later this month. For the first time at any airport, the biometric checks will apply to all domestic passengers leaving the terminal, which will handle all British Airways flights to and from Heathrow.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/07/nheathrow107.xml

+ Nothing to hide, but plenty to fear from Ms ID Card - Mail on Sunday 8/3/08
The alleged Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, says she needs to be able to prove who she is. I agree it's a problem. It is hard to credit that this deeply unimpressive person holds the great office once occupied by Winston Churchill.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_article_id=528695&in_page_id=1772&in_author_id=224

+ Sir James Crosby recommends no charge for identity cards - The Times 7/3/08 +
Identity cards should be provided free as a way of winning the �hearts and minds� of the public, the Government�s own expert recommended yesterday.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3500361.ece

+ UK Home Office disk in computer bought on eBay - Taipei Times 1/3/08 +
A repairman discovered a confidential government CD hidden inside a notebook computer bought on eBay, a computer store in northern England said on Thursday.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/03/01/2003403461
(Please send me any items of interest you encounter - Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) )

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