The Big Question

LEN SMITH

Gypsy activist
ID cards are more about power and control than any real effect
in the areas claimed for them. False passports seem to be easily
obtained at a price, and I’d bet the same goes for ID cards. It is
always the vulnerable in society who are affected by such measures,
never the legislators.

JAYA KATHRECHA
Carer
Lots of countries have ID cards and they don’t cause the
problems people here worry about. This country isn’t
security-conscious enough. There’s so much fraud and ID cards would
help to prevent it. It would be safer to pull out your card to
prove who you were than to pull out your credit card.

KIERRA BOX
Young people’s activist
ID cards would penalise young people. Under 24s are at most
risk of street crime and would be reluctant to carry such important
documents. If a card was lost or stolen, we could be denied access
to public services, leaving us excluded from society for
weeks.

JEAN STOGDON

Carer and Grand-parents Plus chair
ID cards would hold no terrors for my generation. We carried
them in the war. I don’t object on civil liberties grounds, but
young Asian and black people are already being continually stopped
by the police. ID cards might give them another reason.