"No ID-ea!" - Blair's ID card scheme under attack from local Lib Dems

10.51.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 12th Nov 2005

Lib Dem Cllr Ian Gerrard says the Government is wasting huge amounts of money on its ID cards scheme

Councillor Ian Gerrard (Middle Park & Sutcliffe) has attacked all three of Greenwich's Labour MPs after they voted in favour of the Government's plans to introduce ID cards for all.

"These cards will be a waste of money and will do nothing to reduce crime or the fear of crime among local people. An independent report from the London School of Economics suggests that these cards will cost the country £12-18 billion - money that would be far better spent on more police officers to patrol our local streets," commented Cllr. Gerrard.

The main problem facing the police is not identifying those people they have already arrested, but rather that they don't have enough officers regularly on the beat to catch criminals, especially when our hard-working policemen and women spend so much time on unnecessary paperwork.

The Liberal Democrats would put 10,000 more officers on the beat and provide them with technology to slash the time they spend at their desks. This would be a far better way of tackling crime.

Cllr Gerrard explained "There is a lot of evidence to suggest that the visibility of police on our streets is key to reducing crime and the problems of anti-social behaviour.

"People in Greenwich would be much better served by this rather than paying £93 for an ID card which have little or no effect on crime.

"We want to see Police, not Plastic," said Cllr Gerrard.

More details on the Liberal Democrat campaign against ID cards can be found at www.libdems.org.uk/noidcards

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