Leicestershire County Council has voted overwhelmingly against the Labour government’s plans for compulsory digital ID.
By a margin of 47-2 County Councillors backed a motion proposed by Liberal Democrat group leader Michael Mullaney opposing digital ID
Proposing the motion Michael Mullaney said “Compulsory digital ID would be an invasion of privacy, a waste of taxpayers money and is totally out of touch with what communities like ours need.
“The history of these kind of major government databases is that they can go wrong, the costs of the schemes keep spiralling upwards and there is the additional risk of people’s personal data being hacked
“It’s something that risks excluding further those who are already technology excluded. Many pensioners, people with disabilities, people on low incomes. Not everyone can access digital technology.
“Keir Starmer’s Labour government’s plans for digital ID is likely to cost billions. Money that could much better be spent on bringing down NHS waiting lists, putting more police on the streets, funding our schools properly and repairing damaged roads and pavement
“Digital ID will be an expensive scheme that won’t work. It won’t stop the criminal gangs bringing people into the UK illegally.
“Thank you to the members of the County Council who overwhelmingly backed the motion and said to the government drop your expensive, intrusive and ill conceived digital ID plans”
Ends
The wording of the motion was as follows:
Notice of Motion: Opposing Labour’s Digital ID Scheme
a. That Council notes the recent announcement by Keir Starmer’s Labour Government of plans to introduce a mandatory Digital ID scheme for all UK residents.
b. That Council further notes that the Government’s plan:
(i) Could require every resident to obtain a Digital ID to access public services and entitlements;
(ii) Could risk criminalising millions of people, particularly older people, those on lower incomes, or those without access to digital technology;
(iii) Raises significant privacy and civil liberties concerns;
(iv) Could result in billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money being wasted on a massive IT project, with no clear benefit or safeguards.
(v) Council believes that Labour’s scheme:
(vi) Represents an expensive measure that will undermine public trust;
(vii) Will do nothing to address the real priorities facing communities such as delivering more police on the streets, properly funding local schools and fixing broken roads and pavements
(viii) Fails to protect our core British values of liberty, privacy and fairness.
c. That Council welcomes the Liberal Democrats’ consistent national opposition to Labour’s ID cards, having previously defeated Labour’s original plans for ID cards in 2010, and opposes Labour’s renewed attempt to impose them in digital form.
That Council resolves:
a) To formally oppose the Labour Government’s Digital ID plans;
b) To request the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Minister for Digital Infrastructure expressing this Council’s firm opposition to Labour’s mandatory Digital ID system and calling for the plans to be scrapped;
c) To work with local voluntary, digital inclusion and civil liberties groups to ensure that no resident in Leicestershire is penalised or excluded as a result of any national identification scheme.