ID cards for all?

[TheOstrich]

I do share Suff's worries; it's more about mission creep and where this will finish up.

How long, for example, before your DRB status is imprinted on the microchip and you have to use your ID card to gain entrance at the turnstiles at your local swimming pool or church? You may consider that a positive benefit of ID cards, but you will be in danger of creating an underclass of citizens who don't conform to the Government's norms. 1984.

[Workingman]

What chips? Where are these chips? Nobody is asking for chips or biometrics - they have been and gone as nobody wanted them.

All that is being asked for is a bog standard, first line of confirmation that the person is who they say they are. They are not the kind of thing to get you into Porton Down or GCHQ.

Talk about ramping things up!

[miasmum]

and in that case can I have one please. Life is very difficult without photo ID believe me

[Suff]

What chips? Where are these chips? Nobody is asking for chips or biometrics - they have been and gone as nobody wanted them.

All that is being asked for is a bog standard, first line of confirmation that the person is who they say they are. They are not the kind of thing to get you into Porton Down or GCHQ.

Talk about ramping things up!

Yep the French and German one's didn't have chips on them either... Care to guess what they have now???

[Workingman]

The French and German cards are for the French and Germans to worry about. I blame the EU.

I watched part of the HoL debate and all that was being suggested was a basic card with limited information. Shell makes a good point about a person's difficulties if they do not have photo ID. They can be asked to hand over to some desk clerk things such as utility bills, council tax bills, bank or credit card statements, P45/60, etc. and you try handing over a redacted one! These things all contain information you might not want seen by strangers, but hey-ho. Many people are now on metres so do not get utility bills and are having to hand over these more personal items.

I just do not get the reluctance.

[miasmum]

The only photo ID I have is my NHS smart card that I use to log into the NHS system at work. I can use that, but we are not supposed to carry them around with us, they are supposed to remain locked away at work once we log off. And me carrying that around and risking losing it, is probably far more security risky than an ID card.

I honestly dont know what the panic is about people knowing stuff. Everybody knows everything about us anyway. I honestly dont care. I have nothing to hide, no secrets, no skeletons, so not sure what I should be worrying about

[Suff]

I just do not get the reluctance.

As Cromwell says. It comes down to trust. I don't trust and I have seen that trust, in other countries, rewarded with overbearing attitudes.

You and I both had a card with a number and a picture we had to carry at all times. We did this by choice under the understanding that when we were finished with it then the card went away.

I don't care what the HOL say today, I care what the government will do with it two decades from now when there is a whole new generation who have known nothing else. To them the protestations of what is "needed" will sound valid whereas to our ears they sound like a power grab.

I'm brought to mind of the twilight series and the statement "you should be careful about permanent changes".

[Kaz]

I'm with you Shell and all for ID cards! We are all 'logged' from cradle to grave these days anyway so what's the problem?

[AliasAggers]

I'm with you Shell and all for ID cards! We are all 'logged' from cradle to grave these days anyway so what's the problem?

I quite agree, Kaz. In fact I think it's a damn good idea.

[miasmum]

I'm glad its not just me, I wondered if I were just being naive