Living in Belgium, identity cards are part of everyday living. What’s the problem, Britain?
Having lived in Belgium for the past 40 years, I still find British opposition to identity cards extraordinary (“Jacob Rees-Mogg is wrong: Britons do want ID cards”). Rather than take away freedom, they make life a whole lot easier. Just three examples: I go to the doctor, who puts my prescription on to my ID card, which I then take to the chemist, all done electronically, no paper. I need a new driving licence: I go to the town hall, show my ID card, give some new photos and a week later collect my licence. In order to vote, I show my ID card, my name is recorded and I vote.
Sure, my details are in a centralised database, but so are the details of any driver in the UK, and in order to verify my identity and/or proof of residence, I don’t have to show utility bills or any other bits of paper. Britain is a “papers, please” society and the views of Jacob Rees-Mogg and his fellow libertarians are out of date and out of touch.
Harriet Gibson
Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium
