NO2ID News No. 117 + THE CONVENTION ON MODERN LIBERTY - ACROSS THE UK +

south west | policing | news report Monday February 23, 2009 09:09 by no2id supporter

no to the database state!!!!

The Convention on Modern Liberty is taking place in London on Saturday, 28th February [1]. But there may be an event closer to you than London - and you won't have to splash out for a ticket to attend! Bristol's will be Set up by NO2ID contact bristol@modernliberty.net and http://www.modernliberty.net

NO2ID, working with others including Amnesty International and the UN Association, has organised simultaneous satellite Conventions in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester [2].

Each of the satellite Conventions will feature live video feeds of the plenary debates and keynote speeches from London, as well as having their own debates and workshops. More details of individual events are listed in 'LOCAL GROUPS NEWS' below.

A couple of the satellite Conventions would appreciate a few more volunteers to help out with stewarding on the day, so please do get in touch with the organiser if you can lend a hand - bristol@modernliberty.net or cardiff@modernliberty.net

All but the Belfast satellite Conventions are free to attend - though donations will be gratefully received. There are still a small number of tickets available for the London Convention at the Logan Hall.

The Convention on Modern Liberty is a call to all concerned with attacks on our fundamental rights and freedoms under pressure from counter terrorism, financial breakdown and the database state.

What are the threats?
What can be done about them?
Why should everyone care?

GET INVOLVED. Help create our modern liberty. Saturday 28 February 2009.

What just happened?

+ Lords Constitution Committee releases Surveillance Report +
On Friday, 6th February the House of Lords Constitution Committee published the final report of their Surveillance and Data Collection Inquiry. The committee is critical of unwarranted surveillance and data loss and lays out 44 recommendations. One recommendation is that "the Government should undertake an analysis of public consultations and their effectiveness, and should explore opportunities for applying versions of the Citizens’ Inquiry technique to surveillance and data processing initiatives involving databases". Another recommendation relating to the National DNA database (NDNAD) suggests that "the Government introduce a bill to replace the existing regulatory framework, providing an opportunity to reassess the rules on the length of time for which DNA profiles are retained, and to provide regulatory oversight of the NDNAD".
The report can be read / downloaded at http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/lords...e.cfm

+ MP tables motion against ID cards pilot +
John Leech MP for Manchester Withington has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons against the proposed pilot of ID cards in Manchester. The EDM notes: "the rising levels of public discontent over the scheme; and calls on the Government to halt the identity card scheme without delay". You can write to your MP using http://www.writetothem.com and ask him or her to sign EDM 672.
See http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=37723

+ Coroners Bill Committee Stage Update +
The Coroners and Justice Bill continued its Committee Stage in the House of Commons last week. The Information Commissioner Richard Thomas, who along with Mark Walport produced a data-sharing review that opened the door to the data sharing measures in part 8 of the bill, told the committee: "Life has changed dramatically. There has been a fundamental shift in the past few years in awareness of the risks of data-handling. Where there is poor data-handling, there are considerable risks for individuals and society at large". Having identified the dangers so clearly, he then strangely added that, "I have some reservations over the wording of part 8 and that must be improved. If that is done, the measure will be in the public interest". The committee will meet next on Tuesday 24th February
Read transcripts of the Committee Stage at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmpub...r.htm
NO2ID's Briefing on the Coroners & Justice Bill is at http://www.no2id.net/IDSchemes/

+ ID Card Abolition Day +
Saturday 21st February will mark the 57th anniversary of the day in 1952 when the abolition of wartime ID cards was announced in the House of Commons. As part of Churchill's "bonfire of controls", the government abolished national identity cards with much support from the population. Now we see that the lessons of the past have been forgotten.
+ World War Two poster sums up mood of civil liberties campaigners +
A poster produced in 1939, as Britain prepared for war and the year ID cards were last introduced in the UK, is summing up the current mood amongst civil liberties campaigners. As the Coroners and Justice bill makes its way through parliament the poster, entitled 'Freedom is in peril', strikes a chord with anyone concerned about the threats to privacy that confront us today. The full text says "Freedom is in peril defend it with all your might" and it was part of a series supposed to convey a message from the King to assure the people that all necessary measures to defend the nation were being taken and to stress an "attitude of mind". However the poster was deemed ineffective because of ‘the abstractness of the words, not one of which had any popular appeal’. Criticism had been raised that "Freedom" was rather an abstract concept and was "likely to be too academic and too alien to the British habit of thought". Perhaps sadly the same could be said of a large number of people in the UK today.
Search for "Freedom is in peril" at http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/

What's next?

+ Volunteers with accountancy skills needed +
NO2ID needs volunteers with accountancy skills to help us with bookkeeping and reconciliation. If you can help please contact office@no2id.net

+ 28th February - The Convention on Modern Liberty +
On Saturday 28th February NO2ID, along with other UK civil liberties organisations, will be hosting Convention on Modern Liberty events across the UK and in London. The main event will take place at the Logan Hall but simultaneously meetings with live video feeds from London will take place in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Manchester, Cambridge and Bristol.
More details here: http://www.modernliberty.net
+ LOCAL GROUPS NEWS +
To see if there's a group in your area check our list at http://www.no2id.net/localGroups/

Or, if you're interested in starting a group yourself, please contact Matty on local.groups@no2id.net to discuss what's involved and what we have in place to support coordinators and their groups.

+ Bristol +

Dave Gould steps down as Bristol Co-ordinator
Many thanks to Dave Gould who has stepped down from his role as co-ordinator of Bristol NO2ID. Dave has worked hard in Bristol for many years and we wish him every success in the future.

+ 28th February - Modern Liberty satellite Convention +
Saturday, 28th February at New Trinity Hall we will be holding a Modern Liberty satellite convention in conjunction with An Adventure in Technology. The event will include live video feeds of keynote addresses from London, a panel discussion with speakers from the Trade Union movement on liberty and working life and film-maker Juan Manuel Biaiñ will present the trailer for his upcoming feature-length human rights documentary, 'Article 12'. More details at (http://www.modernliberty.net/satellite-conventions/bristol). This event is free to attend. Contact bristol@modernliberty.net for more information.

+ Cardiff +

+ 28th February - Cardiff satellite Convention on Modern Liberty +
Saturday 28th February at St. David’s Hall, Cardiff. There will a live webcast of the London plenaries and keynote speeches as well as panel discussions on 'Human Rights, Democracy and Governance' and 'The Future of Freedom'.
More details at http://www.modernliberty.net/satellite-conventions/cardiff

+ Cheltenham +

We have a new Cheltenham group. They are just in the process of getting started so please email the coordinator Lynda Warren on cheltenham@no2id.net if you'd like to be involved.

Please also join the Cheltenham mailing list on: http://lists.no2id.net/mailman/listinfo/no2id.cheltenham

"ID" in the news

+ LibDems warn of ID card legislation at Holyrood - The Herals 19/2/09 +
Scots are sleepwalking towards UK identity cards, according to the Liberal Democrats who say an assent motion is being quietly passed through Holyrood that will make it easier for Westminster to press ahead with proposals.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/news/display.var.24...d.php

+ UK ID Card Plans Put Transgender People in Danger, Say Greens - UK Gay News 17/2/09 +
Brighton Green Party councillor Vicky Wakefield-Jarret has today warned that Government’s proposals for ID cards risk increasing transphobia, and could pose a threat to the safety of transgender people.
http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/09/Feb/1701.htm

+ Pilots to snub ID card trial - Manchester Evening News 16/2/09 +
Airline pilots flying into Manchester Airport will refuse to carry national identity cards during a controversial trial which starts on October.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1096945_p...trial

+ UK identity cards rejected by Scottish ministers - STV 15/2/09 +
Westminster’s controversial plans for UK-wide identity cards are in doubt after Scottish ministers denounced the plans as "unacceptable.
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/76841-uk-identity-cards-rej...ters/

+ Home Office expands scope of compulsory ID cards - ZDNet 12/2/09 +
The Home Office has made a formal request to parliament to increase the scope of ID cards for foreign nationals. Under the proposed regulations, which are part of government plans, applicants under six categories for UK immigration will need to provide fingerprints and a photograph to be stored electronically on the card.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/zdnetuk/news/security/0,10000001...0.htm

+ Government plans travel database - BBC News Online 8/2/09 +
The government is compiling a database to track and store the international travel records of millions of Britons. Computerised records of all 250 million journeys made by individuals in and out of the UK each year will be kept for up to 10 years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7877182.stm

+ The horror of the ID card system - The Guardian 4/2/09 +
All the waste and incompetence of the ID card scheme becomes plain when you hear people's stories about their contact with the new UK Borders Agency.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/04/idc...trics