Snuff Radio and Tau Ceti are playing in support of the No2ID Campaign. There will be sign-up sheets, information on the campaign, pledges to sign, a speaker and a warm up acoustic act.

Entry is free (from 7pm-11pm) and the bar is until 2am. Donations will cover local campaign costs and a portion will be given to the national office.

It may appear that today’s announcement by the home secretary Jacqui Smith is a climb-down on the part of the government, but it actually shows that the government is looking to use ‘stealth’ tactics to bring in the legislation they want. They intend to bring their ID card plans into force piecemeal to avoid a debate.

This brings into question the government’s argument that such measures are necessary to fight terrorism and illegal immigration. The elements of the original plans changed today were originally hailed as ‘vital’, but if this was truly the case, they would still be vital now.

Instead of arguing the case for ID cards the government intend to bully people into accepting them by slowly removing services from those who do not want to give up their privacy. Only recently, leaked government documents revealed plans to use ‘coercion’ tactics, specifically targeted at young people*. NO2ID believe that this is not acceptable in a free society and that these plans need to be stopped.

Simon Barnes
Canterbury NO2ID

*See http://wikileaks.cx/leak/nis-options-analysis-outcome.pdf for an annotated copy of the leaked strategy document.

About NO2ID

NO2ID is the UK-wide, non-partisan campaign opposing the government’s planned ID card and National Identity Register. We continue to actively campaign on all fronts for the abolition of the ID scheme and repeal of the Identity Cards Act 2006. There are numerous local NO2ID groups around the country.

To contact the Canterbury NO2ID group please get in touch with Carol McIntosh (canterbury@no2id.net).

When the writer of Prime Suspect, Peter Berry, started a new TV drama set in a “near future” Britain that’s become a security state, he didn’t expect current events to overtake his imagined plot.

As this article on the series reminds us:

Yet the innocent do have something to hide – their privacy, and that is linked to dignity. The innocent will have to prove every day that they are innocent by what is on their card.

The Last Enemy is on BBC 1 at 2100GMT on Sundays from 17 February.

See the wording at Your Canterbury.

Canterbury NO2ID gives notice of their next High Street Stall. This Saturday (16th of February 2008) representatives from our group will be on Canterbury High Street from 10am-4pm taking petition signatures, giving out information on the NO2ID movement and building up our supporter base. There will also be copies of the NO2ID Pledge for the public to sign.