Campaigners fighting the Government’s plans for ID cards are claiming a victory after four Labour candidates seeking election to Oxford City Council on Thursday opposed the scheme.
And today, city councillor and Lord Mayor John Tanner, who is seeking re-election in his Littlemore seat, told Oxford campaign group NO2ID he also did not support the Government’s proposals.
NO2ID contacted each of the 101 candidates fighting for election to half the city council’s 48 seats to find out where they stood on the controversial issue.
NO2ID chairman Chris Rimmer, from Kennington, said although the scheme was a national one, it seemed likely local authorities would end up footing much of the bill.
He said candidates from the Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats and Green Party opposed the scheme, but five Labour candidates also said they were against the idea of a compulsory ID card system.
Mr Rimmer said: “When we carried out a similar exercise at the last local elections, there was a deafening silence from Labour candidates.
“This time it appears they have seen how unpopular the policy is and are not afraid to declare themselves against it.
“With even grass-roots Labour activists turning against it, surely now the time has come for Gordon Brown to scrap this highly intrusive, expensive and potentially damaging scheme.”
More: Labour Revolt over ID Cards
Source: http://www.oxfordmail.net/
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