COUNCILLOR Blanchard is obviously a councillor and prospective parliamentary candidate who, to further his political ambitions, is prepared to toe the party line - certainly after his comments about ID cards (Letters, December 30).

The Government would have us believe that to make the world a safer place, 80 per cent of people favour ID cards.

Public opinion says 80 per cent of people are opposed to the scheme. Is the Government prepared to reveal how it arrived at a vote in favour? Will it publish its questionnaire and advise us of the cross section of people it interviewed? That the Government and opposition are in agreement should sound warning bells.

The fact that we are to pay £35-£85 for this little piece of plastic, with a fine of £2,500 if we refuse, smacks of the Big Brother authoritarianism we expect of Labour.

What Coun Blanchard says about the limits on the scope of the ID card scheme regarding privacy protection and information misuse may sound plausible, initially.

But consider the possible future ramifications of ID cards - a card with a computer chip containing all your personal information, or a chip that can be tracked by satellite technology. A chip that can be updated, without your knowledge by obscure Government department - and we all know about the accuracy and reliability of Government computer systems.

You could belong to the state, mind, body and soul without even knowing it. Politicians should consider why we have a state of world unrest. Not everybody wants the 'American Dream' (world domination through devious economic, social and political subversion) or the lust and greed of western civilisations.

I seriously doubt that identity cards are the answer.

K E Fisher,

Rydal Avenue,

Burnholme, York.

Updated: 09:45 Friday, January 07, 2005