28th June 2005

Oxfordshire Green Party has welcomed UNISON's condemnation of Labour's ID card proposals.

City Councillors Elise Benjamin, a member of the Green Party's national Trade Union Group said "ID Cards are clearly yet another attack on our civil liberties by this Labour Government".

Local Greens say ID cards won't prevent terrorism or benefit fraud - two of the main reasons given by the Government for introducing them.

"Like the poll tax, ID cards are unfair, unworkable and very expensive." said Elise.

Unison, Britain's biggest union with 1.3 million members rejected the proposals at its annual conference. The scheme cannot work without the support of the public sector workers who will be involved in running it.

A London School of Economics report to be published tomorrow says that the total cost of the scheme could be £18 billion, three times higher than the Government's own estimate. Greens say the money should be re-directed to community policing such as the successful East Oxford bike bobbies.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. UNISON is the trade union representing the officials who will implement the identity cards scheme.

2. Oxford Greens are hosting a National Green Party Trade Union weekend conference in Oxford this August.

3. More information is available at www.no2id.net