1. 2003

2. 2004

3. 2005

4. 2006

5. 2007

6. 2008

7. 2010

8. 2018

9. References

The United Kingdom last had compulsory National Identity Cards during the Second World War when they were introduced for security purposes. As with most forms of state control, they remained in place well after the threat had passed.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}}

Wartime ID cards were finally withdrawn by the Churchill government in 1952 because of the tension they created between the police and innocent citizens. The last person to be prosecuted for refusing to carry an ID card was Harry Willcock.

Identity cards were re-introduced in Britain in the Identity Cards Act 2006, enacted during Tony Blair's Labour government, as part of a state-approved counterterrorism initiative by – then-Prime Minister – Tony Blair, in response to the September 11 attacks and 7/7 bombings. This was subsequently repealed by the Identity Documents Act 2010 during the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition of 2010, following opposition to ID cards from the then-Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Prime Minister David Cameron.

In 2018, the question has been raised again, with articles in The Economist and The Times considering whether it might help address concerns about citizenship and migration, particularly in the light of the Windrush scandal.^[1][2][3] At the end of April, two former Home Secretaries Kenneth Clarke (Con) and Alan Johnson (Lab) called for a rethink on ID cards, saying that immigration targets would be useless without them.^[4][4] In September, former Home Secretary Amber Rudd added her voice, saying that "Britain should adopt a new high-tech version of ID cards to tackle fraud, illegal immigration and welfare abuse."^[5]

2003

The announcement of the scheme followed a public consultation, particularly among "stakeholder groups".^[6] At March 2003 the government stated that the overall results were:

in favour: 2606 responses (61%)

against: 1587 responses (38%)

neutral: 48 responses (1%)

However the government has been criticised for ignoring the overwhelming majority of those replying who stated that they did not want national identity cards. The government claimed that over five thousand negative online responses through a single portal site, organised by stand, represented one lobby group so treated them as one reply, thus reversing what would otherwise have been recognised as an overwhelming vote against national identity cards. However, the Government claimed that many supportive organisations did not number their entire membership numbers in their submissions and thus, it would not be a true representation to include each individual submission by this campaign.

2004

Some polls have indicated that public opinion on the issue varies across the UK. The 2004 State of the Nation poll^[7] by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust showed that opinion in Scotland was far less supportive than that in the rest of the UK. Although that trend is reversed in other polls.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}

In a poll for Detica conducted by MORI in March 2004^[8] showed that 80% of those polled were in favour of a national identity card (11% opposed), although 67% of them have little or no knowledge about the Government's proposed national ID card scheme. Furthermore, only 54% were prepared to pay for a card, with 80% unwilling to pay more than £25. 83% were in favour of carrying the card at all times, though only 44% were in favour of the police being given powers to see it on demand. 58% doubted that the Government could bring in such a scheme smoothly.

In May 2004 a YouGov poll for Privacy International^[9] indicated that 61% of the population supported compulsory identity cards. However, in respect of the database maintenance elements, 47% opposed the legal requirement to notify a change of address (compared to 41% in favour), while 45% were against the legal requirement to report lost, stolen or damaged cards (44% in favour). 27% of those polled were 'strongly opposed' to fines. In the under 30 age group, 61% were opposed to fines. Of those opposing the scheme (percentage unstated), 28% would take part in demonstrations, 16% would take part in civil disobedience, and 6% would prefer prison to registering.

2005

National opinion polls suggest that the expected cost of the cards affects levels of support. An estimate from the Home Office placed the cost of a 10-year passport and ID card package at £85, while after the 2005 General Election in May 2005 they issued a revised figure of over £93,^[10] and announced that a "standalone" ID card would cost £30.^[11] Two polls conducted by TNS at the end of 2005 amongst British Citizens and Foreign Residents demonstrated over 65% support for identity cards backed by a central database with a cost of an identity card at £30 and a passport/identity card package at approximately £100 {{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}. However, the research conducted by MORI in 2004 showed that only 20% were willing to pay more than £25. The publicised costs also do not include an estimated £30 for processing fees, making the total costs up to £60 for a standalone card, and £123 for a passport/identity card.^[12]

A 2005 poll on the BBC web site indicated that of the nearly 9,000 voting, 17% were in favour, 83% against  . However, internet polls cannot be considered as being very reliable - indeed, the wording under the poll result states that results of such polls cannot be taken as indicative of public opinion.

Before the July 2005 London bombings, a Telegraph/YouGov poll^[13] showed that 66% of people were opposed to the scheme if it cost £6bn and 81% opposed if it cost £10-19bn. However, the questions in such polls have often failed to reflect that the costs issued by the Government already included the running costs of the existing Passport Service.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}

The NO2ID opposition group announced in September 2005 that 11,369 people have pledged to refuse to register for an ID card and will donate £10 to a legal defence fund if the Bill becomes law.

2006

In February 2006, a YouGov/Daily Telegraph poll^[14] indicated that public support for the scheme had fallen to 52% (with 37% opposed), despite 60% of those polled stating that those with nothing to hide should have no objection to the scheme. It revealed that the following percentages of people thought that the scheme would:

• 64% - cut benefit fraud
• 62% - cut health tourism
• 55% - cut bogus asylum-seekers
• 43% - help catch criminals
• 42% - will make life simpler and more convenient
• 21% - cut chances of terrorist atrocities

At the same time, it showed that the following percentages thought:

• 80% - determined criminals and terrorists will forge the cards
• 74% - the scheme will be enormously expensive
• 71% - information will be hacked or leaked
• 61% - information will be improperly passed to foreign governments
• 60% - will be time consuming and inconvenient
• 55% - will contain incorrect information
• 51% - card readers will often malfunction or read inaccurately

In July 2006, an ICM poll^[15] indicated that public support had fallen further to 46%, with opposition growing to 51%:

Q1. The government has proposed the introduction of identity cards that in combination with your passport, will cost around £93. From what you have seen or heard do you think the proposal is...?

• Very good idea 12%
• Good idea 34%
• Bad idea 29%
• Very bad idea 22%

Q2. As part of the National Identity Scheme the government has also proposed that everyone is required to attend an interview to give personal details about themselves for use by the police, tax authorities and all other government departments. From what you have seen or heard do you think that this is a..?

• Very good idea 10%
• Good idea 31%
• Bad idea 33%
• Very bad idea 23%

A further poll by YouGov/Daily Telegraph, published on December 4, 2006, indicated support for the identity card element of the scheme at 50%, with 39% opposed. Support for the national database was weaker, with 41% happy and 52% unhappy with the prospect of having their data recorded. Only 11% trusted the government to keep the data confidential. 3.12% of the sample were prepared to undergo long prison sentences rather than have a card.^[16]

Identity cards were re-introduced in Britain in the Identity Cards Act 2006, enacted during Tony Blair's Labour government, as part of a state-approved counterterrorism initiative (part of the War on Terror) by – then-Prime Minister – Tony Blair, in response to the September 11 attacks and 7/7 bombings.

In response, the Home Office said that it was "hard to see what would be achieved, other than incurring unnecessary expense" by renewing passports early.^[20] However, the cost of a passport was £51 at the time, then increased in 2006 and 2007 to £72 and was due to rise to £93 after the introduction of ID cards.

2007

On 14 November 2007, the NO2ID opposition group called for financial donations from the 11,360 people who had pledged to contribute to a fighting fund opposing the legislation.^[21] The organisation planned to challenge the statutory instruments that will be brought in to enable the ID card scheme.^[22]

2008

As of December 2008, NO2ID had some 60,000 registered supporters and active groups in most major cities and many towns across the UK.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

Although policy on passports and the National Identity Scheme was not an area devolved to the Scottish Government, on 19 November 2008 the Scottish Parliament voted^[24] to reject the ID card scheme, with no votes against the government motion, and only the Scottish Labour MSPs abstaining.

2010

The reinstatement of identity cards put forward by the Blair ministry was repealed by the Identity Documents Act 2010 during the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition of 2010, following opposition to ID cards from the then-Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Prime Minister David Cameron. Although the Act ends the validity of ID cards as travel documents, no action will be taken to withdraw the National Identity Cards already issued.^[25]

At the introduction of the Identity Documents Bill by the coalition government in June 2010, former Home Secretary David Blunkett acknowledged the success of the campaign, saying that: "I need to be contrite enough to congratulate Phil Booth from NO2ID, Dr Whitley from the London School of Economics identity project, and others, for the tremendous campaign that they have run, over the past five years in particular, to stop this scheme."^[26]

2018

A YouGov survey for The Times found a majority in favour of reintroducing identity cards, with high levels of support for granting extra powers and tools to the security services.^[27] "The survey reveals that most people would support the compulsory carrying of ID cards, with 57% support among the control group and 61-63% among those who were asked the crime/terrorism variants."^[27]

References

• Escaping set
• Escaping Tel Aviv
• Escaping Your Ambitions
• Escapism magazine
• Escapism Travel Magazine
• Escapist (disambiguation)
• Escapist (Magazine)
• Escapist News Network
• Escapist (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay)
• ESCAPPM
• Escappm
• ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee
• Escarcega Municipality
• Escardes
• Escargot de quimper
• Escaria
• Escarmain
• Escaro
• Escarpada Point
• Escas
• Escassefort
• Escatalens
• Escathology
• Escatology
• Escaton