Bruce and Radcliffe Urge Rethink on ID Cards

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 21st Dec 2004

The introduction of a national identity card system has moved another step closer. MPs voted for a second time in favour of the new legislation on Monday evening.

North East Parliamentarians Malcolm Bruce MP and Nora Radcliffe MSP are now calling for the Prime Minister to rethink the plan and invest the £3billion it will cost to introduce the card system in front-line policing and intelligence instead.

Gordon Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament Malcolm Bruce, who voted against the new legislation, commented:

"The simple truth is that ID cards will fail to combat terrorism and make little or no difference in tackling illegal working and cutting crime. The attacks on Madrid and New York were carried out by people with ID cards. The police do not generally have a problem identifying people they arrest: the problem is in catching the criminals in the first place.

"The Government claims these cards will help cut illegal working however employers in industries with high levels of illegal labour are already required to check identity documents. The problem is the Home Office does not enforce existing rules demonstrated by the fact there were only 2 prosecutions for employing an illegal worker in 2002. That illegal immigrants will not be able to get ID cards will not change anything as long as there are unscrupulous employers and lax Home Office enforcement."

"It seems clear that the funding for the ID card scheme - some £3billion - could be invested more wisely. More bobbies on the beat and additional funding for our intelligence services are what the Government should be considering and not a dubious ID Card scheme from which any benefits principally in the fight against terrorism, crime and illegal immigration will, at best, be slight.

Commenting today, Gordon MSP Nora Radcliffe said:

"The Liberal Democrats' position on the cards is well known and many people the length and breadth of the country share our concerns. That is why the Scottish Executive has won important changes to ensure that the use of the cards will be much more restricted north of the border.

"I welcome the concessions which mean that Scots will only have to produce the cards when they apply for benefits. People south of the border will be required to use them for many more purposes including access to health and education services.

"The one certainty here is the huge cost of ID cards - a cost that will have to be borne by every individual in the country and could be better spent improving policing and intelligence services.