Afaik you have to have been involved in an RTA for the police to require production of a driving licence.
As for ID cards, the arguments against are based around the fact that it's one massive, centralised database. Yes there are databases already - credit checks, DVLA, even marketing lists and so on. Yes, plenty of information can be found about you with a little effort.
But that's where the problem lies. At the moment, it takes a lot of time and sifting to get a picture of an individual. Correct authorisation is needed with numerous government bodies. Court orders must be served for production of records from private companies. And so on.
The government is already talking about extending the ID scheme. At the moment they're mainly banging on about the combined ID and passport, but there are plans afoot to integrate it with healthcare, benefits, criminal history checks - the list goes on. And every time another "service" is tied into the card, yet more information about you goes into that one central database.
Even if I wasn't against it for the "big brother" factors, I'd be against it on the basis that the government have been lying ****s. Bollocks will it stop illegal imigration. Bollocks will they need it to work - how many illegal imigrants do you think have national insurance numbers? They take jobs on the side, and get paid under the table. How the hell it's going to stop terrorism I really don't know.
They could at least be honest and say "yes, we'd like to charge you all couple of hundred quid for a card which lets us keep track of your behaviour for the rest of your life" - but of course that is significantly less likely to get support now isn't it.
I've signed up to
the pledge against them, and will be signing any other petition too.
Today's public seem far too willing to give away thier remaining liberties like so many lemmings.