LibDem Convener backs "Renew for Freedom" campaign

10.26.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 28th May 2006

Raymond Lawrie, Convener of the Dundee Liberal Democrats, is publicly supporting a campaign which is encouraging people throughout the UK to renew their passports by the end of May.

The "Renew for Freedom" campaign is organised by no2id and backed by the Liberal Democrats and a wide range of other organisations.

Anyone who applies for, or renews, their passport after May 2006 will automatically be issued with an ID card and have their details put on the national ID database. This will include information such as fingerprints and iris scan. Applications made before the end of May, however, will not be affected.

In support of the campaign the entire Liberal Democrat front bench at Westminster have recently renewed their passports and therefore will not be issued with ID cards.

"If you renew you will not have to worry about the card or the database until 2016" said Raymond today (Sunday 28th May).

"The Liberal Democrats have been opposed to ID cards from the beginning and so have I," continued Raymond. "We will continue to oppose the government on this and I will make sure my own passport is renewed within the next few days."

Related Links:

Renew for Freedom campaign.

LibDems launch ID card protest - BBC.

NO2ID campaign.