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Original poster

Is anyone else outraged that £14.5 billion is going to be spent on ID cards?

50 replies

Callisto · 23/04/2009 08:37

If so I urge you to contact your MP and ask them to question the government about it and to point out what a waste of money it is.

You can find out who your MP is here: They Work For You

and you can easily contact your MP here: Write To Them

OP posts:
Original poster
Callisto · 23/04/2009 08:38

They work for you will also tell you your MP's voting record on issues like ID cards.

OP posts:
TheCrackFox · 23/04/2009 11:08

Callisto, have just emailed my MP. I am fizzing about the massive waste of money ID cards are. We can't afford it and I think it is turning into a vanity project with this govt. They never seem to admit that they get things wrong.

nametaken · 23/04/2009 11:43

I don't think people will bother tbh. Legal or not, I'll not bother. What they gonna do, put us all in prison?

MamaG · 23/04/2009 11:48

have emailed mp

oh dear though, he apparently voted very strongly for the iraq war and was moderately against equal gay rights

LeninGrad · 23/04/2009 12:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Callisto · 23/04/2009 12:26

Thank you everyone who has taken the trouble to contact their MP's over this.

My MP is Geoffrey Clifton Brown who voted strongly against ID cards (I'm ignoring his voting record on gay rights and the Iraq war right now...). I mailed him to tell him how disgusted I am and I hope that he, or one of the Opposition, will bring this up at PM's questions.

Leningrad - I think that, whatever you MP's stance on ID cards, it is really important to tell them what you think. They are our representatives after all and should take account of our opinions. Plus if Mr C-B asks GB why the govt is spending £14.5 billion (and ID cards will cost loads more than this in the long run) and then says 'And 100 of my constituents have written to me and want to know why too' it gives the question more weight.

OP posts:
Original poster
Callisto · 23/04/2009 12:28

Nametaken - you won't be able to travel abroad I think. It will be tied in with passports so although it's not technically compulsory, it is in reality. Passports will get lots more expensive too, btw. And can I just reiterate that £14.5 billion will not even begin to cover the cost of ID cards.

OP posts:
LeninGrad · 23/04/2009 12:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EldonAve · 23/04/2009 12:46

Is there any point writing to my MP? Will he take any notice?
(mine was supposed to be against the heathrow expansion yet voted against rethinking the plans)

Meglet · 23/04/2009 12:51

I can't see the point of the ID cards. Just another thing for crimals to forge.

Meglet · 23/04/2009 12:52

criminals

nametaken · 23/04/2009 14:08

Why will not having an ID card prevent me from travelling abroad? The government can't stop me leaving the country (unless they imprison me for a crime obviously) and the government can't dictate to other nations what their criteria is for allowing people to enter.

It's just scare tactics to try to frighten everyone into getting one.

EldonAve · 23/04/2009 14:26

You will be fine until you need to renew your passport

smallwhitecat · 23/04/2009 15:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sarah293 · 23/04/2009 15:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

PfftTheMagicDragon · 23/04/2009 15:44

[cries]

oh my god, my MP (with the exception of voting for equal gay rights, though only moderately) actually represents everything I do not.

Voted strongly against a transparent Parliament
Voted strongly for introducing ID cards
Voted strongly for introducing student top-up fees
Voted strongly for Labour's anti-terrorism laws
Voted very strongly for the Iraq war
Voted strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war
Voted very strongly for replacing Trident.

Hardly ever rebels against their party in this parliament...

sigh

PfftTheMagicDragon · 23/04/2009 15:45

I will not be getting an ID card. I do not currently have a passport, though should ID cards look likely to get off the ground (of course they might not, should another party get in and scrap them, of the costs and reality come to the forefront) I shall get a passport just before so I have a long enough time to avoid the consequences.

PfftTheMagicDragon · 23/04/2009 15:50

He has been the MP for my area for 17 years! I also didn't know he is the Minister of State for Energy. How embarrassing for me

So Callisto, if my MP is staunchly in favour of ID cards, what is the best tack for writing to them?

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 23/04/2009 15:57

I can't get my e-mail to flow properly and get my point across.

I'm against ID cards as I really don't see that we will really gain much by having them, and certainly not enough to justify spending that much money.

Would anybody who shares my viewpoint mind sharing their letter?

Original poster
Callisto · 23/04/2009 17:40

Pift - ask him how the £14.5 billion will be spent, how he envisages that it will stop any terrorism and why the govt feels the need to spend so much on something that so few want and cut spending on other things that are truely needed. You could also throw in that most estimates (ie non-government ones) conclude that £14.5 billion will nowhere near cover the cost of ID cards and that lots more money will be needed, and that you'll be paying for it twice as passport costs will double. (Please do use the 'It is MY money you're wasting afterall' line here).

I will endeavour to get some proper facts and figures together to use as ammo against all of the MP's who feel we can't be responsible for our own actions a bit later. Thanks all for taking the time - makes me come over all Che Guevera...

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Original poster
Callisto · 23/04/2009 17:43

Iwish - the main paragraph of mine is as follows, but my MP voted against ID cards:

"I am writing to you to express my outrage that £14.5 billion has been earmarked for ID cards in this budget. I find the idea of ID cards repugnant in normal circumstances, but to set aside so much money for a scheme that nobody but the Labour government wants, and that will not be a terrorist deterrent, is obscene. Please, please can you or someone in the Opposition take the government to task about this issue."

OP posts:
FAQinglovely · 23/04/2009 17:46

my MP - well

"# Voted for a transparent Parliament.

Voted strongly for introducing a smoking ban

Voted very strongly against introducing ID cards.

Voted moderately against Labour's anti-terrorism laws.

Voted very strongly for an investigation into the Iraq war.

Voted very strongly for replacing Trident.

Voted against equal gay rights.

Has never voted on laws to stop climate change.

Well a few in there I'm not happy about (but then I never voted for him as he's Tory - in fact I sppoiled my paper as I didn't want to vote for Labour or Tory and that was my choice ) still at least he's strongly against the ID cards.

Original poster
Callisto · 23/04/2009 19:35

I've got some more info about ID cards.

There is a run down of all of the info each card will hold about an individual here: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4630045.stm

There is a BBC FAQ here: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3127696.stm

The actual cost of ID cards is estimated to be £30 billion. There are lots of (unverified) facts and figures here: www.idcardandyou.co.uk/cost.html#fine1

Enjoy!

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BigBellasBeerBelly · 23/04/2009 20:03

That website is fab callisto!

Ours is a Tory, a shadow cabinet person at that, and so naturally I want her out.

However reviewing her voting record she seems extremely sensible.

Now I am very confused.

Incidentally I have never been able to find answers to the following questions about ID cards - maybe one of you knows:

  • Will it be compulsory to carry it at all times (once they've made it so everyone over 16 has one)
  • Who will we have to show it to/under what circumstances will we have to produce it

If it's the case that we have to carry them by law and show them to anyone in authority who asks, then that's a police state

If it's not the case that we have to carry them and show them, then what's the point?

I feel as if I am missing something fundamental in all of this.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 23/04/2009 20:08

Heard though that foreign nationals will get them first.

In that case, I get mine before everyone else....

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