Immediate: 12th January 2010

Yesterday, on the same day that the European Court of Human Rights ruled that stop and search powers under the Terrorism Act are too wide[1], it emerged that City of London police are claiming they may demand identification from photographers – powers that no legislation gives them.

In a statement given to Amateur Photographer [2], City of London Police said: ‘Photographers should carry identification where
possible and be prepared to answer questions about why they are taking photographs, if they are asked.’

Even under the controversial – from today arguably illegal – ’stop and account’ powers in the Terrorism Act 2000, police have no power arbitrarily to demand you identify yourself, let alone produce documents on the spot. They can only do so in connection with the investigation of a suspected offence.[3]

Phil Booth, NO2ID’s National Coordinator[4], said:

Even the Terrorism Act does not give police power to demand identification arbitrarily. In backing this ‘advice to photographers’ by vague menaces, the City force is trying to make it compulsory to carry ID in the square mile. Anyone with a mobile is a photographer nowadays.

It is not a free country where police make up powers to suit themselves. If what you are doing is lawful, then your identity is no business of the police.

This is a perfect illustration of the danger of the government’s ID scheme. They’ll say they ‘need to know’. They don’t. Official ID obsession means harassment for citizens – legally or illegally.

-ENDS-

Notes for editors:

1. Gillan and Quinton v the United Kingdom:
   ‘…the powers of authorisation and confirmation as well as those of stop and search… are neither sufficiently circumscribed nor subject to adequate legal safeguards against abuse. … .They are not therefore ‘in accordance with the law’.’
   See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6975087/Stop-and-search-under-terror-laws-unlawful-Europe-rules.html; Liberty conducted the case
2. Amateur Photographer, 12 January 2010 http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Police_Photographers_should_carry_identification_news_292902.html
3. Taking photographs is rarely an offence.‘Officers should be reminded that it is not an offence for a member of the public or journalist to take photographs of a public building and use of cameras by the public does not ordinarily permit use of stop and search power,’Chief Constable Andrew Trotter has written, setting out ACPO’s opinion.
4. NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate for a list of ‘database state’ initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing, and http://www.no2id.net/datasharing for how it all fits together.

For further information, or for immediate or future interview, please contact:

• Phil Booth (National Co-ordinator, national.coordinator@no2id.net) on 07974 230 839
• Guy Herbert (General Secretary, general.secretary@no2id.net) on 07956 544 308 (Central London)
• Michael Parker (Press Officer, press.officer@no2id.net) on 07773 376 166

7th January 2010

The Home Secretary has admitted in a Parliamentary answer [1] that the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) is collecting National Insurance numbers from every person who applies for an ID card, and storing them on the National Identity Register – the ID card database.

As from next year it will be compulsory to apply for entry on the National Identity Register in order to receive a passport, this means that all passport applicants will also have their NI number collected and stored for life.

Mr Johnson’s answer failed to mention other categories of information, in addition to what is currently recorded on the passport database, that are to be held on the National Identity Register [2].

Phil Booth, NO2ID’s National Coordinator, said:

The National Identity Scheme has never been about a card — it’s about tracking you throughout your life, linking your details by the numbers.

This admission confirms the Home Office’s intentions for the scheme. It wants to track you through every government and private database it can —and your NI number’s just the start.

-ENDS-

Notes for editors:

1. Written answers and statements, 5 January 2010: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2010-01-05b.306359.h&s=Chris+Grayling+section%3Awrans+section%3Awms#g306359.q0
2. For a full list of the *FIFTY* categories of information that may be held on the National Identity Register, one has only to read Schedule 1 of the
   Identity Cards Act 2006: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2006/ukpga_20060015_en_5#sch1
3. NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate for a list of ‘database state’ initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing, and http://www.no2id.net/datasharing for how it all fits together.

For immediate release, Thursday 10th December 2009

Liverpool Labour rebels on ID cards – IPS banned from council premises

Last night Liverpool City Council passed a motion – with the full support of the Labour group – rejecting the government’s ID card scheme[1]. The motion, prompted by reports[2] that Liverpool may follow Manchester as a ‘beacon city’ for the roll out of the National Identity Scheme, bans the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) from using any council-controlled premises or facilities to promote the scheme. It also suggests that Gordon Brown set out to mislead last autumn’s Labour Party Conference about the scheme.

NO2ID[3] says the ‘voluntary’ pilot scheme is an ID Card Con[4]. Anyone induced to pay £30 for an ID card also has to be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed by the IPS, and becomes subject for life to regulations issued by the Home Office under the Identity Cards Act. Their personal information may be passed to other government departments, their use of the card is tracked, and they must report any change in personal circumstances to the IPS or face penalties of up to £1,000.[5]

Phil Booth, NO2ID’s National Coordinator, said:

‘Neither the people of Liverpool nor their elected representatives have been conned. We particularly congratulate Labour councillors for taking their constituents’ sides against the Home Office’s favorite surveillance scheme, even if a Labour Home Secretary complacently lets the bureaucrats steam on, spending uncounted millions in the biggest ID theft of all.’

-ENDS-

Notes for editors:

1. The text of the motion, passed nem.con. is as follows:
   

   Council notes that the Government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce identification (ID) cards. It is doing this through pilot schemes in the North West, including the planned launch of a scheme in Liverpool in January 2010. Council notes that the existing policy of the City Council is that it is opposed to the introduction of ID cards and the associated database.

   Council further notes that: -
   1. Despite arguments by Labour ministers to the contrary, ID cards and the database will not prevent crime, terrorism or illegal immigration.
   2. The introduction of ID cards would fundamentally change the relationship between the citizen and the State,
   3. The Prime Minister’s speech to his party conference sought to give the impression that ID cards would not be introduced, at the same time his Government was clearly preparing for these pilot schemes.

   Council therefore resolves to:-
   a) Reiterate its current opposition to the ID cards scheme and any introduction of this in Liverpool.
   b) Refuse to co-operate with any plans to promote the card scheme including refusal to allow any council premises to be used for promotion events or meetings and refusal to use any of the city Council’s communications channels to provide information about the scheme unless required to do so by law.
   c) Work with organizations campaigning against the ID card scheme such as NO2ID to raise awareness among Liverpool Citizens to the dangers of the ID card and the database scheme.

2. ‘Identity Cards to get city launch’ – Liverpool Echo, 30 Nov 2009 http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/uk-world-news/2009/11/30/identity-cards-get-city-launch-100252-25284497/
3. NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate for a list of ‘database state’ initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing, and http://www.no2id.net/datasharing for how it all fits together.
4. http://www.no2id.net/idcardcon/
5. See ‘Statutory instruments for the Identity Cards Act 2006′ http://www.ips.gov.uk/cps/rde/xchg/ips_live/hs.xsl/1285.htm