Conservative Chief Whip Councillor John Goulandris has welcomed the support given for his Group’s motion at yesterday’s meeting of the Full Council which aired opposition to the introduction of mandatory digital ID cards.
An altered resolution was passed by 40 votes for and none against (with the Labour Group abstaining) that set out the grounds for opposing the Labour Government’s latest plans.
It as stated that such a scheme would be expensive (costing at least £1.8bn); bureaucratic; erode individual privacy; pose greater risks of identity theft; and represented a fundamental attack on British cultural values.
Following this result, the Leader of Council is tasked with writing to the Prime Minister’s Office and the city’s four Labour and one Green Members of Parliament to convey the Authority’s considered objections to the proposed compulsory scheme.
Cllr Goulandris (Stoke Bishop) said: “We were grateful to have won the backing of a majority of Members on this important issue.
“Most of the contributions made during the debate were very positive and insightful. They also signalled the strength of feeling against a deeply unpopular policy from the Labour Government.
“Unfortunately, Labour councillors chose rather to bide their tongues on this subject and seemed to prefer instead to carp on about whether it was appropriate for this matter to be discussed at all.
“It is disappointing that they collectively could not bring themselves to vote for something which sought to uphold and protect individual liberty.
“Nevertheless, I hope that their Parliamentary colleagues can now be persuaded to oppose an ID scheme for which there is absolutely no democratic mandate.
“In this practical way, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer will not be in a position to simply ignore all of his critics and any dissenting voices within his own party.”
