By Andy McCue, 14 June 2005 11:55
NEWS Public support for the government's controversial national ID card bill has dropped dramatically as the full scale of the costs involved begin to emerge, according to a new survey.
An ICM poll of 1,000 UK adults has found support for ID cards is down to 55 per cent, compared to Home Office claims that 80 per cent of the population back the scheme.
When asked if they support ID cards in the light of the government's revised cost of £93 per card, 43 per cent of respondents said the scheme is a bad or very bad idea.
The massive cost of the ID card scheme is one of the key issues at the heart of silicon.com's ID Cards on Trial campaign to put pressure on the government over vague and creeping scope, unproven technology and unrealistic cost and implementation plans for ID cards.
Phil Booth, national co-ordinator of anti-ID group No2ID, which commissioned the survey, said in a statement: "We are unsurprised at this clear evidence of growing public scepticism.
"The government knows from international experience that public support for ID cards falls drastically as people discover more about them, which is why they have been so eager to steamroller the legislation through parliament."
Comments
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1. anonymous
90 quid they say? then that means about 250 I guess
2. anonymous
You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people.... etc.
Seems that as the public gets more info on ID cards, thanks in part to sites like Silicon, the more they are against them.
Democracy is well served by Silicon.com
3. Craig
This has probably been said a thousand times already, but, if these cards will save millions in benefit fraud, then why the heck do we have to pay for them? Government should be handing them out like candy!
4. Dr Colin F Parsons
Unknown total cost, technical doubts regarding it's accuracy, plus being the largest public IT project ever attempted. Re the latter, the Government's appalling record re control of large IT projects means at least 10:1 chance of a complete disaster, with the poor taxpayer having to pick up the bill for a failed project. No wonder the public is losing faith in the project!!
5. Simon Mallett
So what about all those minority groups that on the one hand we treat with kid gloves, on the other, are the very ones who ID cards will be aimed at. Who's going to go on to the traveller camp and check that all ID cards are up to date, then fine them etc etc. They won't even arrest their kids for driving underage and without licences!
6. Mike
Biometric Passport @£75, makes card cost £18. I doubt that banks pay £18 for a chip & pin card with a photo?
Wallet sized ID card, more useful than bulky passport, so leave it at that.
There are better ways to control benefit fraud, like checking for 20 adults claiming benefit from the same address. OR asking them for their national insurance numbers and cross checking against other benefit claimants. OR why is the claimant not on the electoral roll?
7. I smelt the roses a long time ago
I think that the REAL REASON for these exxxxxxtremely expensive IT projects is to line the pockets of big business (senior management) and rich people (large share holders in these companies) across the globe. And, don't forget about the
back-handers politicians will get from these contracts (swiss bank account anyone!, directorship on company boards, favours for family connections, need I go on).
Look, the people who run capitalism don't give a dahm about you and me, so wise up and stop giving your money, time and energy to these people. Either become self-employed or unemployed, either way you won't be getting screwed by the system!
8. anonymous
I know that ID card were issued for everyone back in 1940s World War 2. People didn't even back then paid for ID cards so why shuld we now. If this Dogmatic, pedantic government wants us all to have ID cards then the Government should pay for it themselves. WE pay more than enough tax already.