Stop the Database State

Alex Williams was out campaigning in both Stretford and Urmston this weekend against Labour's decision to use Stretford and Urmston residents as guinea pigs in the pilot ID card scheme which opened recently in Greater Manchester. Local Conservatives distributed leaflets from the No2ID campaign, and residents were asked to sign a petition outside the Stretford Arndale and Urmston Library.

Alex said: "Since applications opened in December, only a tiny proportion of local residents have requested an application form while in a recent poll, 96% of respondents opposed the scheme."

"However, despite this lack of interest, the Labour are still pushing ahead with the scheme, spending £230,000 every day to bring it about - more than £5 billion in total. All this when the Government is borrowing more than ever before - what a waste of money!"

He added: "This is a costly, wasteful, intrusive scheme that has practically no popular support. Local people in Stretford and Urmston have been queuing up to tell me that they don't want it and how out of touch the Labour Government now is. The Conservatives will scrap it if we form the next Government. I urge Labour to stop using the residents of Stretford and Urmston as guinea pigs, call a halt to this pilot immediately and invest the money saved in local public services instead.''