UK: Bill to abolish ID cards published: Identity Documents Bill (pdf) and Explanatory Memorandum (pdf). The UK government's programme on civil liberties states: "The Government believes that the British state has become too authoritarian, and
UK: Bill to abolish ID cards published: Identity Documents Bill (pdf) and Explanatory Memorandum (pdf).
The UK government’s programme on civil liberties states: “The Government believes that the British state has become too authoritarian, and that over the past decade it has abused and eroded fundamental human freedoms and historic civil liberties. We need to restore the rights of individuals in the face of encroaching state power, in keeping with Britain’s tradition of freedom and fairness.”
The government is also committed to: “halt the next generation of biometric passports” (the compulsory taking of peoples’ fingerprints for all passports renewals planned for in 2011) though this is not contained in the list of Bills proposed for the 2010-2011 session in the Queen’s Speech.