The government plans to introduce a digital ID card will not attract any form of ire of this humble blogger. I was in favour of the proposal when Tony Blair’s government tried – and failed – to bring them in and I remain in favour today. I like the idea of having a ID ‘card’ on my smart phone or even a little plastic card for those who don’t use mobile phones for all manner of reasons, like proving who you are, utilising public services, applying for jobs and benefits and doubtless a million other things. I know that a prime motive this time concerns illegal immigration and while it isn’t mine because I have a great deal of sympathy with refugees seeking asylum but I live by the old adage that only those who have something to hide object to ID cards. But there is plenty of opposition.
The Fagash Fuhrer Nigel Farage objects, as does Jeremy ‘Magic Grandpa’ Corbyn, along with the Conservatives (remember them?) and various liberty groups. In fact, earlier on today some spokesman or other for a freedom-type group pointed out the seemingly unholy alliance between the far right and far left against ID cards, suggesting it backed up his argument. Au contraire, old chap. This is the political horseshoe effect at work yet again, where the extremes often meet in the middle. If Farage and Corbyn agree on something, it’s bound to be terrible.
I like having most of my life on my phone, which to be honest is my mobile computer. I would not mind being challenged to prove my identity for just about anything. I like to think that in terms of honesty, I am today the most honest person I have ever been. I concluded long ago that the truth should not be my version of the truth but the truth known and accepted by everyone, apart from liars. I don’t go round committing sundry crimes so I have no reason to fear the forces of law and order. I suppose the only concern might be if a far right government, led by the Fagash Fuhrer, Nigel Farage, took power. Although he opposes ID cards today, who knows whether he might change his tune in the event of his authoritarian privately owned company Reform UK Ltd. winning a general election. But that’s a what if, not something that’s going to happen in the near, and hopefully distant, future.
While I am happy to have a digital ID card, there is one aspect that has been omitted from this whole debate: enforcement. And that’s something that has come to the fore after 14 disastrous years of a Conservative government.
Under David Cameron/Nick Clegg, Theresa May, Boris Johnson,. Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, public services were cut to the bone, services including immigration, the courts service which almost collapsed under the Tories and border controls and benefit fraud investigation in the DWP, which has been all but reduced to a debt collection service. While ID cards would certainly help in the fight against illegal migration and benefit fraud, as well as many other aspects of government service, so would adequately staffed public services dealing with criminal activity at the outset. If you want the real crackdown politicians always bang on about, you can’t have one without the other. You want to deal with dodgy employers who take on people who have no right to be in this country, because it’s cheap labour, you need actual humans on the front line, too.
In Europe, most people carry ID cards and they work perfectly well. Given appropriate legals safeguards, I cannot see a problem. The Big Brother argument is laughable given how much the state and companies know about us already. Go to a supermarket and use their ‘loyalty’ card scheme and they know exactly what you like to buy and they know your bank details.
As I said at the beginning, if both Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn think ID cards are a bad idea, that’s your best argument for them being a good idea. Two egocentric narcissists from the far fringes of politics. ID cards plus enforcement by actual human beings: that’s the way forward.
