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Passport to hell


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Yup, and here's what a reformed expert has to say about it:

 

"I give it six months before someone replicates it [the ID card] perfectly," he says. "Everything you need to clone an identity is in one place."

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4754733.stm

 

So, this guy's opinion is that rather than protecting our identity, ID cards will make ID theft easier and more efficient.

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Originally posted by kate:

In 2009 I will be 66 (No! Yes. You don't look it. Thank you.) I have held a British passport since I was 12. I have a Birth Certificate that shows I was born in Lancashire. I have held a British Driving Licence since 1967. I have worked for the British Civil Service (on and off) since 1959. I married a member of the British armed forces in 1962 and I have 3 British children.

 

What on Earth could I tell them about myself, in a face-to-face interview, that they don't already know? :D

 

I am hoping that the Leader of the party of which I am a member and activist will be getting stuck in on all of this ID/Passport nonsense....time will tell.

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It takes a strong political character to stop a major project once it is underway, however at the moment I don't think the money spent is great in the way of things, 2009/10 will be a different story. Mind you if Mr Brown takes over, I think the cost/benefit of the project will suddendly become an issue, and rightly so. Much of what is being proposed is being introduced in a subtle way, for example at Manchester Airport you can avoid the queues for passport control by registering your iris pattern, and then using the automated immigration system. No doubt to encourage people, the queues for the manual system will be made to be longer, a lot lot longer. :wink::x

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I see the same traits in you Observer, no offence. That's probably why a lot of internet posters find my more systematic approach on what I do know rather difficult to take, but you note my caution on subjects I'm not strong on. That's why audiences on Question Time need to stop applauding both sides of an argument but sit back and think. The Iraq business has from start to finish been debated pretty poorly from all sides, for example.

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Renew your passport NOW!!! Before you know it the price will have shot up (at the moment they are saying ?93 but that will increase in line with MPs pensions) and you will be forced to hand over all your private information, iris and finger prints to be included on the governments national database. If you renew your passport now, then in the 10 years before it expires then either the power mad shower that is running the country will have been consigned to the obscurity they deserve, or we will all be locked up for the heinous crime of criticising them. :wink::wink:

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Who said anything about the Tories getting in?? But whoever is in charge in 10 years time cannot possibly be as incompetent or corrupt as the present incumbents, and if they are then I hope I'm not around to see it. At least I won't be on Big Brother's database. :wink::wink:

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Originally posted by DavyG:

And what makes you think that anything will alter if the tories get in. :confused:

Possibly the expectation that taxes will not increase, maybe even decrease, therefore expenditure on things like ID cards will be subject to a proper cost/benefit analysis and scrapped.
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Originally posted by asperity:

Who said anything about the Tories getting in?? But whoever is in charge in 10 years time cannot possibly be as incompetent or corrupt as the present incumbents, and if they are then I hope I'm not around to see it. At least I won't be on Big Brother's database. :wink::wink:

Well I think they modelled themselves on the last Tory government and I think you'll find that your on big brothers database regardless of what happens with passports.
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You forgot the picture, Observer. Interestingly I would have thought such things could be construed as an infringement of ones human rights, although maybe it is only criminals that have human rights. :confused:

 

I think you are right Asperity, the police are getting involved in more and more issues that I think they shouldn't be, even John Prescott's extra maritals as I understand it. Not sure who controls the police anymore and who Chief Constables answer to, certainly not the Police Authorities who I think are there to support the status quo.

 

[ 13.05.2006, 20:55: Message edited by: Paul Kennedy ]

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Amen, Aspers.

 

My understanding is that, should they come to power in time, the Tories will abort the project on ID cards, but full steam ahead on developing and maintaining the NIR database - an indication of what the powers that be are really after.

 

Can't refer to a link, but I've read that in excess of ?13m was spent on the ID project before it got through the Lords, and indication of both how determined and confident they are.

 

I'm still not really sure who's the real driving force behind all this, it would add up for me if it was some faceless Whitehall Mandarin. Either that or pressure from the US.

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Here is a quote from Hansard 10 May 2006 column 131WH

 

"My hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) questioned the Home Office on how much money had been spent on the Government's ID card scheme from April 2003 to December 2005. He was informed that ?32 million had already been spent by the Government on the scheme before the legislation was passed by Parliament".

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Good link Asperity.

 

As I suspected Observer, Chief Constables are trusted to run the service in the best interests of the community they serve. I guess the advice they receive has more to do with political correctness and appearance more than anything else. Interestingly, as I recall, when Blunkett wanted the Humberside Chief Constable dismissed over the Soham murders, he couldn't.

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