“It is that same bucket of cold sick trying to be foisted on the people by Tony Blair,” one MLA said.
MLAs have voted to oppose proposals from the UK Government to introduce a Digital ID.
The motion which was brought by Sinn Féin and ammended by the DUP, expresses concern that “this flawed proposal could result in the squandering of millions of pounds of public money at a time when public services are increasingly stretched,” and “stresses that these plans would also jeopardise personal privacy and creates the potential for misuse of citizens’ personal data; and calls on the Prime Minister to immediately withdraw plans for an ill-considered digital ID scheme in all parts of the United Kingdom.'”
Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, Sinn Féin’s Colm Gildernew said that his party was “resolutely opposed” to the BritCard.
“This motion today will send a very clear message to the British government that this scheme isn’t wanted by the majority of people here and that they need to reflect on this harebrained scheme,” he said.
“First and foremost, this is an attack on the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement makes it explicitly clear that citizens here in the North have the right to identify as Irish or British, or indeed both, as they so choose. The idea that Irish nationalists living in the North, who carry Irish passports as a proud birthright, would accept a mandatory form of ID that forces them to identify as British is absolutely ludicrous.
“We all know that people feel very strongly in their sense of identity here, as is their right, and any attempt to coerce people to accept an identity which isn’t theirs is doomed to fail from the outset.
“The Good Friday Agreement was designed in such a way that it would allow people to express their identity in whatever way they want, with the recognition that identity doesn’t remain static and can indeed change over time, and, crucially, it afforded equality to those of us who choose to identify as Irish.
“This so-called BritCard would drive a horse and cart through that inclusive and equal recognition of our many complex identities.”
DUP MLA Jonathan Bukley described it as an example of what MLAs can do when they work together.
“This debate gives me much joy, much hope. For two reasons, actually. If I were to close my eyes in this Chamber, I would almost think that every single party had found their inner Paul Frew. Let freedom ring! Liberty for all, it truly is breathtaking and such a journey from some very difficult and dark years,” he said.
“The second reason, it’s a genuine sign of cross-community working that ultimately leads to better results, because when we look at this motion, when ammended, it shows those of a British identity and those of an Irish identity working together to show Keir Starmer and the Labour Government that digital IDs will not stand, will not stand in Northern Ireland, will not stand in England, in Scotland and Wales, we stand united in this place to send a clear message to the UK Government no to digital IDs. That is quite an achievement.”
Mr Buckley described the proposal as “that same bucket of cold sick trying to be foisted upon the people by Tony Blair” and said that “the cats and the dogs on the streets know that there is not one chance” that it would end illegal immigration.
While Sinn Féin did not support the DUP amendment, which called for the Prime Minister to withdraw the plans in all parts of the UK, the amendment passed, and all MLAs in the chamber at the time backed the amended motion.
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