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++ NO2ID Supporters' Newsletter No. 133 - 8th October 2009 ++
*Contacting us:* Call or email the office - 020-7793-4005 or
(office@no2id.net). Please do not reply to this email. (The from address
is not a working email address)
+ BROWN CONS OWN CONFERENCE ON ID CARDS +
The biggest cheer that Brown got at the Labour Party Conference was when
delegates thought he had announced that the ID scheme had been
cancelled. He did not. He only repeated the same misleading things that
every Home Secretary has said about the scheme since it was first
mooted. But he did so with a flourish, as if announcing something new.
This seems to have fooled a lot of people to judge from newspaper
reports and our own mailbag. All Brown said was that the scheme would be
'voluntary' to start and would not be compulsory for a while. As ever he
focussed public attention on the cards and said nothing about the database.
Remember that the Home Office's idea of "voluntary" is probably
different from yours. It means a scheme you cannot ever leave (unless it
dies before you do) once you "agree" to be included. And it is a scheme
that you will be compelled to "volunteer" for if you ever wish to apply
for any official document "designated" by the Home Secretary, the first
of which is planned to be a passport - from some point in 2011.
More explanation of the Home Office's clever plan here:
http://www.no2id.net/pledge/how.php
*+ Manchester: exposing the ID Card Con +*
Though it plans to force us all to take part, the UK Identity and
Passport Service (UKIPS) is looking to hook a few genuine volunteers so
that it can claim that the scheme is popular. For unclear reasons
Manchester has been chosen as a 'beacon city' for this hunt for the
gullible, so NO2ID is mounting a counter-campaign this autumn. It begins
on the Saturdays of 10th and 17th October, when campaigners from
Manchester supported by volunteers from all over the country will be
taking information stalls onto the streets of Greater Manchester to
begin telling the people of the North West about the reality of the ID
scheme under the slogan: Don't be a Guinea Pig.
More details here:
http://www.idcardcon.org
and Manchester NO2ID contacts in the local groups section.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
What just happened?
*+ More ID scheme Statutory Instruments introduced +*
More proof that the government is pressing ahead with its ID scheme has
emerged in another round of Statutory Instruments being introduced
before parliament and coming into force within the next few weeks
(despite parliament being in recess until 12th October). These include
'SI 2009 No. 2574 - The Identity Cards Act 2006 (National Identity
Registration Number) Regulations 2009'. This relates to the unique
database number that will be issued to anyone who signs up to the
scheme, it states: "A National Identity Registration Number shall
provide no information in respect of a person other than that an entry
in the Register has been made and that the entry has been given that
number" - in other words the number will be just a number to people
without access to the database. Of course what it doesn't explain is
that this number will be used to link records in multiple databases
across government and the private sector, allowing dossiers to be
constructed of all citizens in the scheme.
*
+ NO2ID Northern England coordinator appointed +*
With NO2ID's local groups network growing fast, particularly in the
North where the Home Office seems currently to be concentrating its
efforts, we are buttressing support for volunteers in the North of
England. James Elsdon-Baker, our current volunteer co-ordinator for
Yorkshire has agreed to give up his current academic job and work
approximately three days a week (kindly funded by the Joseph Rowntree
Reform Trust Ltd) helping the formation and activities of NO2ID
supporters' groups. If you are north of the Wash and south of the border
and would like to start NO2ID activity in your area, then please contact
James at north@no2id.net or 07817605162.
*+ Creeping demands for ID +
*A NO2ID supporter recently spotted disturbing evidence of a shift
towards an ID culture in the UK whilst watching the channel 5 television
programme "Brighton Beach Patrol" broadcast on 11th September. At around
18 minutes into the programme, a policeman rushes over to a man, pushes
him against the wall and shouts "ID NOW" at him. Our supporter explains:
"When the man says that he doesn't have any ID, the policeman says that
he's under arrest for failing to provide identification and being
anti-social. I'm aware that the police (and CSOs) have the power to
demand your details if they have reason to believe you have been, or
are, engaging in anti-social behaviour and it's an offence to refuse or
to give false details, but as far as I know this hasn't been changed to
give them the power to demand ID, although they certainly seem to think
it has in Brighton".
The programme can be viewed online at:
http://demand.five.tv/Episode.aspx?episodeBaseName=C5148650002
*+ Plans for compulsory dog chip ID / National Database of owners +
*Both the Conservative and Labour parties says they support plans to
compulsorily microchip all dogs in the UK and place their owners'
details on a national database, claiming that it will help to reduce the
number of stolen and stray dogs. A 2007 press release from the Dogs
Trust revealed that the number of stray dogs in the UK fell by 25%
between 1997 and 2007 without such extreme measures being introduced and
the Control of Dogs Order 1992 already creates an offence of a dog in a
public space not wearing a collar and name tag. The plans are presented
as being widely supported, yet an Early Day Motion tabled in parliament
in May calling for compulsory chipping has attracted the signatures of
just 45 MPs, whereas EDM 1352 congratulating Burton Albion Football Club
on winning the Blue Square Premier title has received 49 signatures. All
horses now have to have a Horse Passport and an implanted chip, and from
next year all sheep will have to have an electronic tag as well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's next?
** *+ POWER2010 campaign wants your ideas +*
NO2ID supporters are invited to contribute ideas for the POWER2010
campaign, which will set out a reforming agenda at the next general
election. Naturally NO2ID would like ideas about curtailing the
database state to feature, but you are certainly not limited to that.
You can contribute ANY ideas for governmental reform on the campaign's
website at: www.power2010.org.uk
Perhaps you have a solution to departments using phoney consultation
processes to railroad through a pre-determined policy. Or it might be
limits on the use of statutory instruments, which have allowed the
government to extend the use of ID cards without parliamentary scrutiny.
Perhaps you have a way for us all to maintain ownership of our personal
information. You decide. The only requirement is that it should be about
improving the way our democracy works and how the decisions are made
that affect our lives.
The ideas with most support will become the POWER2010 Pledge, which the
campaign intends to invite every candidate standing at the next general
election to make the pledge into their own public commitment, so that
the new parliament will be fully aware of what the public thinks of
those building-blocks of government which are fundamental but seldom
covered by manifestos.
*+ Have your say - National Identity Service Public Panels +*
The UK Identity and Passport Service (UKIPS) is setting up public panels
around the country to get the views of members of the public as they
build the "National Identity Service". The UKIPS website states that
"Independent scrutiny is vital to the success of the National Identity
Service (NIS)". Apparently they want to "put the public at the heart of
our service" and are "committed to making sure that the way we work is
completely transparent and that people, businesses and the Government
know their rights and responsibilities". Public panels will be made up
of 11 members, and will meet for half a day up to three times a year.
The aim is to "produce an Identity Rights Charter. This will set out the
rights and responsibilities people, businesses and the Government have
under the NIS". To join a panel you can fill in the online form at
www.ips.gov.uk/publicpanel or call 020 3356 8174.
More details at http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/1189.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"ID" in the news
*+ Government changes tack on ID card tech - ZDNet 8/10/09 +*
The Identity and Passport Service has changed its plans for storing ID
card data, following the failure of a centralised government database to
meet security requirements. However, the government has not ruled out
storing biographical details on the database, the Department of Work and
Pension's (DWP) Customer Information System (CIS), in the future.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39796446,00.htm
*+ Tories put faith in passport ID - BBC News online 7/10/09 +*
The Conservatives will "retrench" to a passport database when they scrap
the ID scheme, Chris Grayling has said. The shadow home secretary told a
Tory fringe meeting there was no need for an identity card scheme
storing 49 pieces of information about every citizen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8295863.stm
*+ ID card officials back away from scandal-hit database - Computer
Weekly 6/10/09 +*
The Home Office has confirmed it is reconsidering plans to use the
Customer Information System to store biometric data for the ID card
scheme. The Customer Information System (CIS) - which is run by the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - has yet to meet the Cabinet
Office's latest standards on IT security, Computer Weekly has learned.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/10/06/238017/id-card-officials-back-away-from-scandal-hit-database.htm
*+ Politicians and celebrities granted permission to keep their names
off child database - Daily Mail 3/10/09 +*
Tens of thousands of politicians and celebrities will be allowed to keep
their names off a new Government children's database, ministers said
yesterday. Their identities will be 'shielded' on the list which will
carry details of 11million children in England and their parents.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1217793/Politicians-celebrities-granted-permission-names-child-database.html
*+ A deeply flawed DNA test - The Guardian 2/10/09 +*
A Home Office experiment with the DNA of asylum seekers to establish
their likely race and place of origin is causing outrage and alarm among
scientists. Sir Alec Jeffreys, the inventor of DNA fingerprinting,
called the human provenance pilot project, run by the UK Border Agency
"naive and scientifically flawed".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/henryporter/2009/oct/02/dna-test-asylum-seekers
*+ Government reverses Brown's passport pledge - Kable 1/10/09 +*
In his speech to the Labour party conference on 29 September 2009, the
prime minister said: "We will reduce the information British citizens
have to give for the new biometric passport to no more than that
required for today's passport." However, the IPS said it is making no
changes to its plans, and confirmed that this includes adding
fingerprints to British passports.
http://www.kable.co.uk/gordon-brown-01oct2009
(Please send me any items of interest you encounter -
Editor(newsletter@no2id.net) )
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS + *
To see if there's a group in your area check our list at
http://www.no2id.net/localgroups/
Or, if you're interested in starting a group yourself, please contact
Matty on local.groups@no2id.net to discuss what's involved and what we
have in place to support coordinators and their groups.
_*+ Alexandra Palace +*_
*+ 14th October - Alexandra Palace NO2ID Monthly Meeting (2nd Wednesday
of month) +*
Wednesday 14th October, 8:15pm at The Gate pub on Station Road (N22
7SS). All welcome. For further details please contact
alexandra.palace@no2id.net
_*+ Birmingham +*_*
+ 21st October - Birmingham NO2ID Meeting +
*Wednesday 21st October, 7:30pm at Bennetts Bar, 8 Bennetts Hill, B2 5RS.
*+ 24th October - Birmingham NO2ID Street Stall +
*Saturday 24th October, from 11am onwards in Birmingham City Centre.
_*+ Cambridge +*_
*+ 10th October - Cambridge NO2ID trip to Manchester +*
Saturday 10th October, Cambridge NO2ID supporters will be travelling to
the Manchester area to run a couple of street stalls in support of the
day of action . Free transport available, leaving Cambridge at 0800,
returning in the evening. If you'd like to join us for the day, please
get in touch: cambridge@no2id.net.
*+ 24th October - Cambridge NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 24th October, in the usual spot outside Cambridge Guildhall
(http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/T5LZATLS) from 2pm (note new time).
Please contact Andrew on 07710 469624 if you'd like to help.
_**__*+ Canterbury +*_
To stay up to date join the Canterbury NO2ID mailing list on:
http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.canterbury
_*+ Dorking +*_*
**+ 17th October - Dorking NO2ID in Manchester +*
Saturday 17th October -- if you'd like to join us for the Manchester day
of action please contact us at dorking@no2id.net
*+ 24th October - Dorking NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 24th October - for meeting time and venue contact dorking@no2id.net
_*+ Dover +*_*
*To stay up to date with Dover NO2ID join our mailing list on:
http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.dover
_**__*+ Edinburgh +
*_*****
**+ 17th October - NO2ID Edinburgh day trip to Manchester +*
Saturday 17th October, we are planning to take a day trip down to
Manchester to run our street stall along with other groups in the
coordinated day of action. If you would like to join us, please get in
touch: edinburgh@no2id.net.
*
**+ 26th October - NO2ID Edinburgh Meeting +*
Monday 26th October at 7.00pm at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria
Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL. We shall be discussing the Scottish
Government's current consultation on identity management and privacy
principles in Scotland. More details at
(http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/future_meetings.html). All welcome.
*
+ Saturdays 1pm - 3pm - NO2ID Edinburgh Street Stall +*
Every week, weather permitting, you will find our campaigning stall at
the east end of Princes Street, opposite the Balmoral Hotel. Do drop by
for a chat. New volunteers - please contact John (edinburgh@no2id.net),
and for more group information see http://www.no2id-scotland.net/edinburgh/
_*+ Epsom +*_
If anyone wants to get involved in the Epsom area, please email or phone
NO2ID South East Regional Coordinator Geoff Cox on south.east@no2id.net
or call 01306 631377.
**
_*+ Glasgow +*_
*+ Scotland: Government consultation on Draft Principles for Privacy
Protection +*
On 31st August, the Scottish Government launched a 12 week consultation
on the draft principles produced by its Privacy Working Group. These
principles are intended to govern how personal information is handled by
the government. The consultation paper is available online:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/08/PrinciplesConsultation
_*+ Great Missenden +*_*
+ 20th November - Great Missenden NO2ID showing of "Taking Liberties" +*
Friday 20th November, 8pm at The Environment Centre, Bassetbury Lane,
High Wycombe HP11 1QX, there will be a showing of 'Taking Liberties' on
behalf of Great Missenden NO2ID. Admission is free but donations to
NO2ID are welcome.
_*+ Hammersmith & Fulham +*_
*+ 31st October - Hammersmith & Fulham NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday, 31st October 2009, Meet approx 11.00-12:30 outside Hammersmith
(District and Piccadilly lines) tube with a view to setting up opposite
Edward's bar on the Broadway. As it's Hallowe'en, it's a good
opportunity to remind Joe Public that ID cards are not dead, but liable
to come back and haunt. We're planning to use some (tasteful) artwork
and any suggestions are welcome! More information on
www.no2id-handf.org.uk/act.htm, or from Brian, hammersmith@no2id.net or
07976-414913.
*+ November date tbc - Call for Speakers for "Transformational
Government" Evening*
We are considering a 'name speaker' meeting on the vital topic of
'Transformational government', probably an evening meeting, midweek in
the second half of November. We would appreciate an early expression of
interest, please, including from anyone outside the group.
Meantime, thanks to those who supported our 'Database State' evening on
24th September. We are pleased to make available our speakers'
presentations on (www.no2id-handf.org.uk/db240909.htm).
_*+ Ipswich +*_*
*
*+ 14th October - Ipswich NO2ID Monthly Pub Meeting (second Wednesday of
every month) +
*Wednesday 14th October - for more information email Bobby at
ipswich@no2id.net or subscribe to mailing list at
http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.ipswich
_*+ Lancaster +*_
Subscribe to the Lancaster NO2ID e-mail list at
http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.lancaster
_*+ Leicester +*_
*+ 30th September - Leicester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +*
Wednesday 30th September, 8:30pm at The Lancaster Arms, 234 Green Lane
Road, Leicester. LE5 4PA
_*+ Manchester +*_
*+ 14th October - Manchester NO2ID Monthly Meeting +*
Wednesday 14th October, 7-9pm in the Town Hall Tavern, Tib Lane,
Manchester. Sadly, this venue is not wheelchair accessible; please
contact us on manchester@no2id.net if you have accessibility needs. At
our monthly meetings we discuss the state of the NO2ID campaign, what
we've been up to recently and where we're going in future. Everyone is
welcome, newcomer or not, curious or committed. See minutes of our
previous meetings at (http://manchester.no2id.net/taxonomy/term/5). We
are always looking for volunteers to take and type up minutes from our
meetings; it's an easy way to help the campaign!
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/monthly-meeting-october-2009*
+ 24th October - "Freedom Come, Freedom Go!" Manchester NO2ID Redux +*
Saturday 24th October, 6.30pm-7.30pm - A comedy show about our eroding
freedoms performed by Tom Read, stand up comedian, former member of
Manchester NO2ID and now coordinator of Norwich NO2ID. The show
appropriately is also entirely free! So come along and see what's going
on. Definitely not to be missed! "Entertaining and educational" - Three
Weeks. This event takes place in the upstairs function room of the Town
Hall Tavern,Tib Lane, Manchester - the same location as Manchester NO2ID
meetings. Sadly, this venue is not wheelchair-accessible and involves
steep stairs.
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/freedom-come-freedom-go-manchester-id-redux
_
*+ Stop the ID Card Con around Greater Manchester +*_
*+ 10th October - Greater Manchester Street Stalls +*
Saturday 10th October, from 12-5pm. At the launch of a new campaign
against the rollout of ID cards in the North-West, NO2ID groups from
around the country will be visiting Greater Manchester. The groups will
set up street stalls in town and district centres to tell people "Don't
be a guinea pig, stop the ID con!" We are looking to hold public
information stalls in Rochdale, Chorlton, Fallowfield, Oldham, Salford,
Stockport and Wythenshawe among others. Groups from as far away as
Edinburgh and Norwich will be helping to spread the word. If you'd like
to come along and help out at one of our stalls, or have a suggestion
for where we could hold another, please contact us on
manchester@no2id.net to tell us where you'd like to be. The Government
is launching a new push for the discredited, expensive and intrusive
National Identity Scheme. They cannot be allowed to spread their
misinformation unchallenged.
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/stop-id-card-con-around-greater-manchester
*+ 17th October - Manchester City Centre Street Stalls, Drop-in Centre
and Public Meeting +
*Saturday 17th October, from 12-5pm. NO2ID are holding an afternoon
drop-in workshop at the Friends Meeting House
on Mount Street, Manchester, where you can learn how to Stop the ID Card
Con. This is a chance for all to come along, meet up with, and get
involved in our campaign against the Database State. You will have a
chance to chat with experienced campaigners to explore what you can
personally do to help oppose the scheme, collect leaflets to spread the
word, and have the opportunity to experience helping out on one of our
many street stalls that will be taking place around the City Centre.
NO2ID and other campaign groups will be running stalls around Manchester
City Centre encouraging people to get involved; groups from around the
country will be coming to visit. If you'd like to volunteer to help
out, please contact us on manchester@no2id.net
At 3:30pm there will be a free public meeting in the Friends Meeting
House on Mount Street. We will be hosting a number of informative talks
from campaigners on the issues surrounding ID cards and the Database
state, which will be followed by an open question and answer session
where attendees can participate in the debate. Following the meeting we
will be heading out onto Albert Square to burn a mock ID card as a
symbol our continued opposition to the scheme.
http://manchester.no2id.net/content/stop-id-card-con-manchester-stalls-and-drop-workshop
**_*+ Norwich +*_
*+ 13th October - Norwich NO2ID Group Meeting +*
Tuesday 13th October, 7:30-9pm, Norwich NO2ID will be meeting at The
Workshop Cafe (opposite The Black Horse), 53 Earlham Road, NR2 3AD, to
discuss ways of keeping pressure on political parties to scrap the ID
card scheme and all of the wasteful, unsafe databases, and how to raise
awareness with the public. Come along to air your views and find more
ways to get involved.
*+ 17th October - Norwich NO2ID Street Stall +*
Saturday 17th October, 1-3pm at The Haymarket, Gentleman's Walk. Set the
record straight on insipid, intrusive ID cards and devisive, derisory
databases! Meet the public and spread the word!
If you are interested in the work of the Norwich group, please join
their mailing list on: http://www.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.norwich
_*+ Oxford +*_
*+ 17th October - Oxford NO2ID day trip to Manchester*
Saturday 17th September, we are planning to take a day trip up to
Manchester to join several other groups in a coordinated day of action.
If you are interested in this, again drop me an email at (oxford@no2id.net).
See the website for more: http://no2id-oxford.org.uk/
_*+ Reading +*_*
*
Contact Reading NO2ID on reading@no2id.net or join our web group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Reading-No2ID/*
*
_*+ Shrewsbury +*_*
+ 17th October - Shrewsbury NO2ID Lunch Club and Street Stall +*
Saturday, 17th October - come for lunch at Rococo in Butcher Row at
12.30pm, and then join us on the street stall in Pride Hill. Let Rob
Findlay know that you're coming (shrewsbury@no2id.net or 07973 848910)
so that we can grab enough table space for everybody.
_*+ Watford +*_*
*
The Watford group is looking for people in the South West Hertfordshire
area to join the group for our monthly meetings and street stalls.
Meetings take place on a Tuesday evening and street stalls on a Saturday
morning. Dates for the rest of 2009 are:
*+ 13th October, **10th November, 1st December** - Watford NO2ID Monthly
Meeting +*
*+ 24th October - Watford NO2ID Street Stall in Watford +*
*+ 14th November - Watford NO2ID Street Stall in Hemel Hempstead +
+ 5th December - Watford NO2ID Street Stall in St Albans +
*
Please contact Colin Simmons on watford@no2id.net if you are interested
in giving a couple of hours a month to join us.*
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Publication details: © NO2ID 2009 - This document may be freely
redistributed in one-to-one communications or physical copies as long as
it is reproduced in its entirety including this notice. It may not be
mass-mailed without the prior permission of NO2ID.
NO2ID, Box 412, 19-21 Crawford Street, LONDON W1H 1PJ