Scottish Parliament votes out ID cards

By John Oates | The Scottish Parliament has voted against the government’s proposed ID cards, in a gesture of Phythonian futility.

Members of the Scottish Parliament decided the cards would not deter crime, would not add to security and would do very little for civil liberties as well.

MSP Fergus Ewing told the Parliament that the government could not be trusted to keep the data safe. He also said cards were a colossal waste of money and the £5bn would be better spent elsewhere.

Members of the Scottish Parliament voted by 69 votes to zero with 38 abstentions, according to the BBC.

Unfortunately, however, the Scottish Parliament has no jurisdiction over ID cards.

Tory MSP Bill Aitken said he had no problem with governments taking action to improve security but plenty of countries have had terrorist attacks which were not stopped or ameliorated by compulsory ID cards. ®