By Anthony Webber:
There is much opposition to the government’s digital ID plans.
This opposition is cross party and is reflected in the nearly three million people who have signed a key Parliamentary Petition on the subject:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730194
Not surprising, in its initial response to the petition, the government have not budged on their objectives.
However, the petition is due to be given a debate session and this will give an opportunity for the broad opposition to digital ID to oppose the government’s plans.
This debate could bring about change. It is wrong to assume that pressure on the government won’t succeed.
It won’t be the first time that a petition has done so.
Sometimes campaigners become downcast when the government gives an initial response to a petition.
This is not realistic. What is realistic is to seek the weak points in the government’s response, and in the case of digital ID there are plenty.
This enables a better case to oppose the government’s plans when the issue is debated.
This petition is the best performing individual issue petition there has been for Parliament.
You cannot include petitions to leave the EU ( as the UK has already had a referendum on the issue).
Nor can you include petitions on calling a General Election. They would only merit consideration if they achieved more votes than Labour did at the General Election ( over 9 million).
The petition on digital ID has to be seen in the context of being part of a wider campaign.
It will assist those MP’s in Parliament who oppose the government’s plans.
The next stage is the debate, either a Petitions Committee debate or one in the main chamber.
It is thus imperative that the signatures continues well over 3 million.
It does not help the campaign at all if there are voices which say it is all a waste of time.
So please, let’s have more signatures as part of a wide campaign of more protests, more writing to our MP’s and more.
It is quite feasible to win this.
There are other related petitions which merit signing:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/729235
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/734246
Also waiting for a debate is a now closed successful petition, which is related to the issue:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722377
At a time of remembering those who sacrificed their lives for their country, this is yet another fight to defend our individual freedoms.
Let’s not give up, but fight, fight, fight!
Anthony Webber
Independent Political Commentator
Opinions from the Unity News Network (UNN) editorial team & various contributors. | UNN always clearly distinguishes between news and opinion pieces and as an open minded outlet we publish views from a variety of people and organisation that do not necessarily reflect the views of UNN or its writers. Articles published under UNN Opinions are always opinion pieces and if published on behalf of a contributor will contain that authors name at the start of the piece.
