You may care to join the remarkably cross party umbrella organisation, the

NO2ID Campaign
http://www.no2id.net

which is opposed to the Identity Cards Bill etc.

Their online petition is still open for more signatures:

http://www.no2id-petition.net/

Their web site campaign link button graphics are available at:

http://www.no2id.net/content/buttons.html

Thanks for posting those. I have, some time back, signed the petition though via a different email address than my one here.

I have added one of the ID button graphics you pointed at to my sidebar.

Excellent images - I've stolen one for my post.

I hope you don't mind me making use of one, too.

Please go ahead. Let me know if you want to be added to the list above.

I'm afraid I may have to join your ranks too...it's a sad, sad day.

Works for me guys, count me in.

I'm a bit queasy about this Lib Dem thing, though - I hope it's not a condition of membership...

I just feel stunned. I live in England, apparently no longer a UK nation, but a set of regions - despite the NE's resounding "NO" vote.

I hate the notion of ID cards. But apparently no major party wants to represent my view.

What has happened to the political scene? What has happened to democracy? Politicians seem hell bent on pursuing their own agendas.

With you all the way on the issue, but I don't know if I can bear to vote for anybody else... he says, very unhappily.

Works for me guys, count me in.

I'm a bit queasy about this Lib Dem thing, though - I hope it's not a condition of membership...

No, it's not a condition. I will certainly not be
voting for them. Andrew, I can't find a blog for
you but seem to remember your name as being
associated with one. Did you not write for
Samizdata.net at one point.

I only ask because the committee list, for what it
is worth, is a list of bloggers.

I had decided to vote Conservative for the first time, having abandoned the so-called "Liberal" Democrats as nothing more than unprincipled headline grabbers only interested in sucking up to Blair.

This decision is even more spineless and illiberal, so now my vote goes to either UKIP or as a spoiled ballot.

There is no Opposition worthy of the name.

For the first time any type of election I am considering not voting.

Always clung to the hope that the next stage for the tories was a small goverment individual freedom capitalist stance als wrong again.

UKIP want to renationa;ise the railways so they are out.

Seems to be a shortage of parties that suit

Oooo...
Open comments on The England Project!
Now, where did I put all that spam....

Seriously though, I really never thought I'd see the tories back ID cards like this. Like a lot of us conservative/libertarian bloggers I held a secret longing that the tory party would come back into the light. This has really kicked that idea in the nuts.

Have Howard et al forgotten that they are supposed to be HMG's Loyal Opposition? Get opposing you tossers!

Really takes the shine off my happy dance re Blunkett

Not really a classical Tory, although this issue, together with a scepticism about what they'll do on the EU is the final straw really. If they can't appeal to their own supporters or draw people like me to them on issues which should be their natural territory then perhaps it's about time the Conservative Party was put out of it's misery.

As a former member of the YC / FCS & Tory party, they lost my vote, not over ID cards, butwhen two Tory Home Secs decided to take away some of my firearms.

ID cards dont bother me that much - being ex-Army & Ex-Hong Kong resident, I have carried an ID card for a lot of my adult life.

To this day, I still carry my HK ID card although now the new style of driving license helps is this regard.

I agree, Howard's stance and support for EU - Labour policy, has put a whole new perspective on ID theft. Add me to your list, there will be no conservative vote from me.

Will anyone bother voting? Labour's base are going to choke on Milburn's New Labour market-orientated manifesto with a bit of liberty crushing authoritarianism in it.. So in Islington, Hampstead and the more bien pensant parts of Britain they will stay at home and in the areas where the Telegraph has higher sales they will stay at home or vote UKIP.

"Don't vote, it only encourages them", will be my position.

Guido, I like the bit you added to your most recent blog entry: "Don't vote, it only encourages them", will be my slogan. Anti-politics and anti-politicians. We may even be the majority.

We may even be in the majority. How tragic and damning of the ruling class were this ever to be the case.

I voted UKIP the very first time I voted in the UK, due to the moral bankruptcy of the Tory party - which would otherwise have been my first choice. It was a classic protest vote.

I don't know which category that puts me in...?

I joined the Tories just after William Hague ceased to be the leader. My membership came through just too late to be eligible to vote for Iain Duncan Smith.

First I was impressed with the Tories under Michael Howard. Then their change of heart on Iraq disgusted me. This is the last straw.

Mark me in as an Honorary.

"Don't vote, it only encourages them" reminds me of an anarchist sticker I saw all over the tube a couple of years back: "Use your cross wisely, crucify a politician".

So far, I've only had one oppurtunity to vote Tory which was in the last Euro elections. Instead, I opted to vote for UKIP for obvious reasons.

However, I had always intended to vote Tory in the general election. I really don't know what I am going to do now.

Man, they suck.

Paul: vote UKIP again.

I'm not a blogger, just a lowly commenter, but: I've voted Conservative in the past, but I shan't do so again unless there is a shift in policy away from the nanny state.

David Wildgoose: the so-called "Liberal" Democrats as nothing more than unprincipled headline grabbers only interested in sucking up to Blair

According to The Public Whip, the Lib Dems were equidistant between Labour and the Tories during the 1997-2001 parliament, whereas in the current parliament they are closer to the Tories.

My opinion is that taking together the ID card plans and the Civil Contingencies Act, both Tories and Labour are utterly unfit for government if you care at all about our traditional liberties.

I wasn't going to vote Tory before this, and I'm certainly not voting for them now. Which is a shame because if there was a decent non-bigotted pro enterprise (which is not the same thing as pro rich people or pro big business) party, they'd probably get my vote.

Phil is correct: pro-enterprise is not the same as pro-business. The Tories too often tend to be pro-business for my liking. I get nervous when politicians get all palsy-walsy with PLCs' boardrooms - you can smell protectionism in the air.

When can we expect the inaugural meeting of the Libertarian Party?

I've always been a Thatcherite kind of a Tory, and despite their gradual slide into "we can be statist as well" policies, I have always thought of them as the lesser of the available evils.

Now He of the Night has blown it. The only hopeful piece of ballot activity in the near future will be the referendum. They only consolation in all this is that Mr Howard has just 6 months left as party leader.

If they replace him with someone who understands that conservative means small state, they can have my vote back. Until then, I will not vote for someone who wants to tag me like a piece of livestock.

This Cowardly, immoral, unethical, fascist ID card scheme has lost the Tories my support. In light of this I would urge that everyone else read my plea:

Dont' vote for any of the mainstream parties, the Labour and Tory party combined only have 20% support in this land. The pollsters distort the figures by excluding those who do not intend to vote.

So those that do not intend to vote feel outcast and alone in the system. Well, non voters are actually a majority in this country, IT IS TIME WE USED OUR POWER AND SACKED THE MAINSTREAM PARTIES AT THE GENERAL ELECTION.

There are enough of us. If you dislike the main three, ask others if they feel likewise and tell them to vote for someone else. Find a minor party that supports your views or a local independent candidate and get them elected. local independents are far more likely to represent your comstituency in parliament than are any tory or labour candidate. They only represent their party in your constituency instead.

Sack 'em all!

Ken

Seems to me, iffen y'all canna vote Tory - y'all have only one alternative:

the U.K. Independence Party.

I like this campaign, but as of yet I am going to open myself up to some abuse and say that I cannot yet commit to the 1952 committee.

I am utterly unconvinced about the ID cards and worried about similar bills - howevwer I want to see how the Conservatives tackle the debate and what bill comes out at the end of this. As a commentator on my site pointed out the Conservatives may well be building Labour up for a fall. I hope so.

Equally I cannot bring myself to say I will not vote Conservative. There are many problems with the party, but they are better than Labour, the Lib Dems and UKIP. I cannot bring myself not to vote and as yet am unwilling to spoil my ballot.

I prefer, however lame you may argue, to try and change Conservative policies from within. However as I have said I am here to be persuaded by those pro-ID card lobbyists of the strength of their case - it may take some.

James, UK Future

OK ladies and gentlemen, the committee now seems to be well and truly staffed. What now? Blog like fury on the subject or should we be doing other stuff too?

I would say just blog as normal Monty, oh and make sure you have signed up to the NO2ID petition linked to in the first comment (not that you haven't done this already).

Yes, I used to write for Samizdata. Like several UK blogs I am one of their blog children. (Or in my case spawn of...)

Any chance of an A4 pdf for sticking to street furniture?

Sorry steve, the source graphic I used isn't big enough for such a thing.

Andrew (Ian Dodge), yup I know who you are. How could I not. I was referring to the comment by "Andrew Duffin" who I confused, I think, with Andrew Duncan or something. Anyhow, forget I said anything.

I can't join. Here's why.

Anyone who ever doubted that the Tories would do this has neither memory nor sanity.

The Tory party has been dumping the traditional ideas of conservatism by degrees over a period of many years. Along that journey people begin to notice and, along the way, due to one event or another, they move away. It's not a quick process. For a few the final straw was the official support of ID cards. For others it was some other thing or quick succession of a combination of things. It's just a natural process confused by many things, including the fact that many normal people have things on their plates to occupy them other than politics. To describe these people as insane or lacking in memory is, I think, inaccurate and unfair.

I have lots of things on my plate to occupy me other than politics. Contrary to the appearance of my blog, I really don't spend much time on politics, I don't usually watch the news, and I don't read newspapers. I was even less interested in politics and current affairs for most of the 90s, when Howard last wielded power. And I saw this coming a mile off.

We are talking about the same party that sent the police to occupy BBC headquarters and confiscate material they didn't want broadcast, right? And the same man who tried to outlaw the wrong sort of music and gave the police the power to arrest people for being in groups of six or more in public?

We are talking about the same party that sent the police to occupy BBC headquarters and confiscate material they didn't want broadcast, right? And the same man who tried to outlaw the wrong sort of music...

No idea. I hadn't noticed.

Howard has taken the wrong fork in the Road like Major did over Maastricht and it will take another 12 years for the party to heal the damage. I cannot believe that the leader of the opposition can be so stupid, just because he stubbornly thinks ID cards are a good idea, he forces it on the whole party.

The Conservative party are being so crassly incompetant, they have so many wide open goals to kick their ball into, but they seem to be trying to make up their mind which Goal to aim for and instead choose to stand in the goal mouth.

I have voted Conservative all my life except at the last two European elections, but for me and my friends ID cards so change the relationship between governed and government that the issue becomes fundamental to their support for the Tories whatever else the party offers.

Labour have limited freedom so much in the last seven years and the Conservative philosophy is based on freedom of the individual that I woudl have thought is natural to see the Conservative party fighting under the banner:

Cry Freedom, set the people free !

Sadly, I am wrong, so they have kissed my vote goodbye, but whether I can bring myself to vote Lib dem I don't know, perhaps The New Party or UKIP.

You are very welcome to vote SNP or Plaid Cymru. We have long opposed statutory ID-cards, and we Bravehearts are very fond of your appeal:

-"Cry Freedom, set the people free!"