White Rose is a protest blog collective focusing on civil liberties in the UK.
It was set up to point a finger at the erosion of personal freedom in the UK.
Government's active measures introduce new means of control such as identity cards and surveillance cameras, the passive measures such as weakening of double jeopardy and presumption of innocence.


The arguments
The resistants
Gabriel Syme and Perry de Havilland of Samizdata.net to rally the Anglosphere behind the UK.
White Rose contributors are those bloggers and non-bloggers who oppose restrictions on personal liberties.

To find out how to become a White Rose contributor, please go here.
Monday, September 08, 2003
ID card costs and benefits
Brian Micklethwait (London)
(0)   Identity cards

The public wants compulsory ID cards, but doesn't like their cost, says Stephen Robinson of the Telegraph:

The public overwhelmingly supports the idea of compulsory identity cards, says a YouGov opinion poll published today in The Telegraph. But it strongly objects to having to pay £40 for them.

Seven per cent of those asked were so opposed to the cards that they said they would refuse to acquire or carry one. This suggests that if the Government introduces legislation for cards this year, as expected, the police would have to act against some three million "refuseniks".

In other words, the costs of compulsion could be a lot greater than the public now realises. When the public realises a few years down the line that the benefits of it aren't that great either, how will they feel then? Let's hope we can explain the meagreness of those benefits to them now, soon enough to stop this thing.


Comments

At the risk of sounding like Campbell, presentation is important. Here's my take:

A yougov poll in today's Telegraph has shown that one person in four opposes Big Blunkett's plans for compulsory National Identity Cards. If the plans go ahead, around one person in fourteen will refuse to acquire the card even if that means breaking the law. Such unprecedented civil disobedience would put the police on a collision course with some three million citizens and would make the cards unworkable.

Posted by: Trevor Mendham on September 8, 2003 06:33 PM
Post a comment








    


    •