NO2ID petition

I've just heard from Phil Booth of the NO2ID campaign that they are pushing to get thousands to sign their petition against the national identity card legislation.

If I may be permitted to adapt some of the campaign's slogans to repeat my oft repeated mantra on this:

1. The proposed ID card scheme will not stop terrorists
2. The proposed ID card scheme will not eliminate benefit fraud
3. The proposed ID card scheme will not improve social cohesion
4. The proposed ID card scheme will not solve the challenges of immigration
5. The proposed ID card scheme will mean a massive govenment database which a huge amount of personal information on everyone, which tens/hundreds of thousands of people will have access to in the course of their jobs; a decentralised network of (unreliable biometric) hi-tech registration centres; remote, robust (ha ha), hand-held, networked, (unreliable biometric) hi-tech ID card verification devices for every police officer, doctor's surgery, benefit clerks etc, etc.; robust (unreliable biometric) hi-tech cards for everyone.
6. The proposed ID card scheme will create lots of extra problems - remember it is not how security works that matters but how it fails; how it fails naturally (through errors and unreliable technology) and how it can be made to fail by insiders or outsiders with malicious intent.
7. The proposed ID card scheme will cost £billions
8. The proposed ID card schme is not worth it
9. The money would be better spent on more well trained police, intelligence, customs and immigration staff.

If you would like an in depth understanding of the issues before making up your mind on it, read the London School of Economics recent interim report, "The Identity Project - An assessment of the UK Identity Cards Bill & its implications.