Lib Dems Target ID Cards at Mid Beds

11.20.33pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 26th Jun 2007

Lib Dems Say No To ID Cards

This week at a meeting of Mid Bedfordshire District Council, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Councillor Mark Chapman has tabled a motion to have nothing to do with the Government's controversial ID Cards unless required to do so by law.

Councillor Chapman said of the motion 'I am extremely hopeful that the council will back my motion to protect Mid Beds residents' data and will stand firm against ID cards. ID cards are not just simple bits of plastic to tell people who you are but are a total invasion of privacy. This Government has eroded our civil liberties piece at a time, and it is time to say enough is enough. They also have a track record of failure in delivering IT projects that work; I have no confidence that ID cards will deliver any of the benefits Labour claim.'

The motion to the council comes after the County Council passed Lib Dem Councillor Susan Gaszczak's motion on the same subject. The Government recently announced the current cost of ID Cards will be £5.3billion. Councillor Chapman stated that 'This money would be better spent putting more police on the beat'.