Dundee LibDem Convener says "No to ID cards in 2006" (Dundee Liberal Democrats)

Dundee Liberal Democrats <info@dundeelibdems.org.uk>

Dundee LibDem Convener says "No to ID cards in 2006"

January 30, 2006 8:22 PM

Dundee LibDem Convener says no to ID cards

Raymond Lawrie, Convener of the Dundee Liberal Democrats, has publicly welcomed the decision of the government's independent reviewer of the UK anti-terror laws to withdraw his support for the government's proposed ID cards.

Lord Carlile has openly admitted he had changed his mind on the issue. Having previously backed the idea he recently stated "There may be a gain from the security viewpoint in the curtailment of civil liberties, but Parliament has to be the judge about whether the proportion is right."

In welcoming Lord Carlile's statement Raymond said "Lord Carlile has now confirmed what many of us have been saying for a long time - ID Cards are an unnecessary and ineffective intrusion into our liberty. So far, every attempt by the government to justify ID cards been rejected. The more that it promotes ID cards the less credible it is as a government."

Following the defeats of the government policy in the House of Lords, Raymond is hopeful that the House of Commons will follow its example.

"Every time the government invents a spurious new justification for ID cards its credibility is severely damaged. Hopefully the MPs will vote for what they believe, and will but an end to this dangerous and dictatorial policy," said Raymond.