ID Cards - Labour's Poll Tax

3.43.21pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 17th Feb 2008

Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed the introduction of ID cards

With an ICM poll showing that half of the country is now opposed to ID cards Liberal Democrats have discovered that at least a record 37 million items of personal data went missing last year.

Most of the data was lost by Government departments, but NHS Trusts, banks, insurance companies and shops have also mislaid or mistakenly published personal details of customers and staff.

The details lost included names, addresses, passports, bank and mortgage accounts, credit cards, hospital records, dates of birth, national insurance numbers, driving licences and telephone numbers.

So widespread is the problem that Lib Dems say it vindicates their total opposition to compulsory ID cards.

Jonathan Chatfield the Lib Dems' parliamentary spokesperson for South East Cambridgeshire explained:

"The level of the loss of personal data that has the potential to be used for identity theft is truly shocking.

"And with more bungling coming to light every day, our discovery of 37 million items of personal data going missing last year is looking like the tip of an iceberg.

"We have recently learnt that Connecting for Health, in charge of NHS computer systems, has admitted losing over 4,000 cards accessing people's health records.

"The Government's ID card scheme which will cost taxpayers billion of pounds is based on the storage of large amounts of information about each of us on a central database.

"The dangers of doing this are clear to everyone except it seems the Government. And its all for no good reason. It won't prevent illegal working, help stop crime or terrorism.

"If the government really wants to make an impact on crime, terrorism and illegal immigration, the billions earmarked for ID cards would be far better spent on more police and intelligence officers. That's what the Liberal Democrats would do.

"The plan to make everyone carry a piece of plastic is becoming Labour's Poll Tax. It should be buried before it ends up as another expensive government fiasco.