Nigel Farage has launched a fiery broadside against proposals for compulsory identification cards, condemning them as an 'authoritarian, expensive, and un-British' assault on personal freedoms.
The Reform UK leader and prominent Brexit campaigner issued his stark warning following revelations that both Labour and Conservative parties have privately discussed implementing mandatory ID systems. Farage asserts this policy would create a 'database state' while doing nothing to combat illegal immigration or bolster national security.
The Cost to Taxpayers and Freedoms
Farage highlighted the enormous financial burden such a scheme would impose, noting that the controversial Blair government ID card proposal was projected to cost taxpayers £5 billion over ten years – a figure likely significantly higher today.
'This isn't about modernizing documentation,' Farage stated. 'It's about creating a system of control that fundamentally changes the relationship between the citizen and the state.'
A Solution in Search of a Problem
The political veteran questioned the very premise of mandatory ID cards, pointing out that most legal residents already possess various forms of identification including driving licenses and passports.
'The only people who wouldn't have these IDs,' Farage argued, 'are those here illegally – and they certainly wouldn't register for a government tracking system.'
Historical Context and Political Hypocrisy
Farage reminded the public that the Conservative Party, including figures like David Davis, once passionately opposed similar Labour proposals, correctly identifying them as an infringement on civil liberties.
'Now it seems both major parties are quietly considering this authoritarian measure,' Farage noted, 'despite its proven failure in other European countries like France and Germany where illegal immigration persists despite national ID systems.'
The Real Immigration Issues
Instead of pursuing what he calls 'counterproductive vanity projects,' Farage urged the government to focus on practical solutions to the immigration crisis, including:
- Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights
- Implementing an Australian-style points-based immigration system
- Ending the 'failed policy' of illegal immigrant amnesties
Farage concluded with a stark warning: 'Compulsory ID cards represent everything the British people rejected when they voted for Brexit – more bureaucracy, less freedom, and greater government control over our daily lives.'
