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The new UK Home Secretary Theresa May has announced that the identity card system will be abolished. Theresa May had the following to say:
"We will be scrapping ID cards but also introducing an annual cap on the number of migrants coming into the UK from outside the European union."
Thousands of migrants from outside the European Union, and British nationals living in the northwest had to apply for the identity card. The abolition of the identity card will reduce the administrative burden on applicants and those who have to administer the scheme.
The new Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government has said that there has been a "…substantial erosion…" of civil liberties in recent years. They have also promised other changes:
- A reform of the DNA database.
- Control of CCTV surveillance.
- Amendments to the current libel laws.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats feel that the ID card system does not help to deal with terrorism and organised crime. They also say that it is expensive to administer and infringes on people "civil liberties. Under a "Freedom or Great Repeal Bill" the new Government wishes to also do the following:
- Scrapping all future biometric passports and the Contact Point Database.
- The Government wishes to "roll back" powers it says were taken by the state under the previous Government.
- They have pledged to defend trial by jury,
- They wish to restore rights to non-violent protest.
- They intend to end the storage of internet and email records without good reason
- They intend to introduce safeguards against the "misuse" of anti-terrorism legislation.
The UK Home Office says that they will provide details on how ID cards and the National Identity Register will be rescinded in future. In the meantime it should no longer be necessary for anyone to apply for an identity card.
