Jenny Willott, the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Cardiff Central, has today said that the Labour Party is misleading the public on their plans for Identity Cards and the National Identity Database.
Ms Willott, who is seeking to be elected to her second term serving the people of Cardiff Central, criticised Labour’s manifesto which said that controversial Identity Cards would remain voluntary for the next five years.
What Labour’s manifesto didn’t say was that, by 2012, anyone applying for a passport will have to also apply for an ID card, costing them an extra £30 on top of the £107.50 it costs to renew a passport..
Commenting, Ms Willott, who as MP campaigned against ID Cards over the past five years, said:
“This is another case of the Labour Party trying to hide their intentions from people. They are pretending that having an ID Card will remain a free choice while saying that if you don’t get one you will give up your right to a passport.
“That is not a free choice and its not a fair one.
“Instead of spending billions of pounds more on this dangerous and expensive scheme, while at the same time asking people in the UK to pay even more in order to renew their passports, the Labour Party should be thinking of how they could help cut crime in the community.
“The Liberal Democrats would abolish the ID Card and the Identity Register and instead invest the money in tackling crime by creating 3000 new police officers.”
