THE Forest of Dean District Council is to call on the Prime Minister to drop any plans for a compulsory national identity card amid fears it is another “step towards mass surveillance and digital control”.

The council has agreed to ask its leader Adrian Birch to write “in the strongest terms” to PM Keir Starmer requesting he “desist from progressing with introducing any form of compulsory national identity card”.

Reform UK Councillor Alan Preest (Lydney East), who presented the motion at their meeting on December 11, said three million people had signed a petition against the proposals which he said it would be a “step towards mass surveillance and digital control”.

“No one should be forced to register with a state controlled ID system.

“This wasn’t in the Labour manifesto. It surfaced as a distraction tactic because the PM and his party are in an unholy political mess entirely of their own making.”

But Labour Councillor Patrick Kyne said the motion was “pure conspiracy theory” and there are already biometric passports, driving licences and loyalty club cards that track spending.

“There are many European countries with ID cards at the moment,” he said.

“I really don’t see this is an issue.”

However, Green Party Councillor Sid Phelps (Lydbrook) expressed concerns over the impact it would have on civil liberties and said the costs “would be massive and for dubious gain”.

“It’s a classic case of the Government doing stuff to be seen to be doing stuff,” he said.

Progressive Independent Councillor Tim Gwilliam (Berry Hill) said he would support the motion.

“I want this Government to realise how relevant and important this council is and perhaps if we keep banging on about how relevant and important thai council is they will reverse the ridiculous local government reorganisation thing they are trying to do – I live in hope.”

Cllr Jamie Elsmore (Progressive Independents, Berry Hill) said it was “just another element of control” while Independent Councillor John Francis (Huntley and Longhope) said it was a personal decision.

“It shouldn’t actually be based on politics,” he said. “It should really be based on the infringement of the state on what we believe is our own personal liberties.

“I do feel things with surveillance and, where we are as individuals in this country, we need to be very careful about any inroads into our personal liberties.”

Liberal Democrat Gill Moseley said she would support the motion and quoted a letter from Cheltenham MP Max Wilkinson to the Prime Minister

“‘The imposition of a mandatory digital ID card would redraw the relationship between the citizen and the state while doing very little to achieve the Government’s stated objectives on immigration enforcement.

“He goes on to say ‘such a scheme would threaten the rights to privacy in a free and open society. It risks expanding state control and encouraging the collection of unnecessary personal data.

“Digital tools should empower individuals, giving people more control over their privacy and data not serve as a mechanism for giving Government more control over the public’”.