DERBYSHIRE'S LABOUR MPS BREAK ID CARDS PLEDGE

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 14th Feb 2006

Derbyshire's Labour MPs have been accused of breaking a manifesto commitment by voting to make identity cards compulsory for anybody applying for a passport.

Paul Holmes, Liberal Democrat MP for Chesterfield said:

"Derbyshire's six Labour MPs were elected last May on a manifesto pledge to introduce voluntary identity cards. Last night they broke that pledge. The only way in which people will now be able to opt out of the system is by giving up their right to travel abroad. The Government's ID cards plans are now completely discredited. They will not help to fight crime or terrorism. The terrorists who attacked New York in Sept. 2001, Madrid in March 2004 and London in July 2005 all carried valid identity documents. Nor will they help tackle most illegal working. Employers in industries with high levels of illegal labour are already required to check identity documents. As for benefit fraud only 5% is due to people using false identities so ID cards will make little difference there either. But they are a dangerous threat to our liberties. A detailed picture of our daily lives will be created on a huge central register and our personal data will be shared without our consent. ID cards are an expensive way of achieving very little. The London School of Economics has estimated that introducing ID cards and the huge computer network required will cost up to £19 Billion rather than the £3 or £4 Billion optimistically claimed by the Government. The Government should abandon their plans and use the savings to put 10,000 more police on the streets. This will be more effective in tackling crime and the terrorist threat."

Stella Rimington, former head of MI5 has said: "If we have ID cards at vast expense and people can go into a back room and forge them they are going to be absolutely useless. I don't think they are necessarily going to make us any safer."

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to continue the fight against compulsory ID cards when the Bill returns to the House of Lords.