Congress motions

Motion

Motion title

Motion to declare support for NO2ID

Session

2007-2008

Meeting link

Annual Congress

Meeting date

28 May 2008

Status

Passed

Motion

15

Motion text

Congress notes:
1 The UK government is pressing ahead with a national ID card and associated database.
2 That at its final annual conference before merger, NATFHE unanimously passed motion 226: DISSENT AND SURVEILLANCE.
Congress believes:
1 That, at an estimated cost of £19. 2BN, the system represents a colossal waste of resources at a time when higher education funding is under increasing pressure.
2 That the Government has failed to take appropriate advice from those academic experts in the field best placed to offer it: e. g. LSE's detailed research and estimated costings, which have been dismissed out of hand by officials responsible.
3 That this ID system is in and of itself an assault on the civil liberties of the British citizen, and places a potentially dangerous amount of power in the hands of government.
Congress resolves:
To re-confirm Motion 226 of NATFHE Conference 2006, and formally affiliate to NO2ID.
For information: motion 226, NATFHE Conference 2006:
Conference believes that the ID card proposals are:
1. part of a centralisation of surveillance information the central database (linked to networks of license plate, facial recognition systems, criminal records and DNA profiles) can store communication and research patterns, travel, employment and health histories, and commercial retail transactions;
2. the most serious peacetime assault on civil liberties and individual freedoms since the 19th century;
3. to be used to deter internal dissent.
Conference resolves to affiliate to the No2ID cards campaign, provide information for members, urge affiliation of other unions, and encourage members to oppose and defy ID card introduction.

Proposing body

University of Cambridge

Amended

No

Allocated to

Strategy and finance committee (SFC)

Notes