Prospective Winchester MP Steve Brine joined local campaigners in the High Street today (Saturday 21 Feb 2009) to campaign against the introduction of ID cards and the wider database state.
Politicians from all parties joined the newly formed NO2ID Winchester at The Buttercross to hand out leaflets and collect signatures on a petition.
Conservative leader David Cameron has pledged to scrap the Government's ID cards project, including the national identity database if he becomes Prime Minister.
Steve Brine said; “This plastic poll tax will cost the country billions we can ill afford, curtail freedoms and, according to many independent experts, could even make identity fraud worse. It was really good to engage with local people on the issue, especially in the warm sunshine of a Saturday morning in town.
“I think it is fair to say that on-balance, people are opposed to the ID card proposal and were eager to sign our petition but there was an element who listened to what we had to say but expressed their support for the policy. I guess our job is to argue for what we believe in and explain why we think ID cards and more importantly, the identity register that will accompany it, will put fundamental British freedoms at risk.
“Personally, I also think it’s another step towards the control state from this over-bearing Labour Government when we should be interfering less and less in peoples’ lives. It must also be said that there is only way to stop this ID card plan in its tracks and that is to elect a Conservative Government pledged to its abolition.”
Campaign Links ...
You can visit the local NO2ID campaign website here.
You can visit the Conservative Party campaign page – Labour’s BAD IDEA here – and sign our petition.
Pictured above; Steve Brine with Cllr Ian Tait in Winchester on Saturday morning