It seems that there is a growing backlash against the 2011 census – with a loose collection of disparate groups and individuals forming a broad coalition.
People are being urged to boycott next month’s UK’s census because the US arms manufacturer responsible for Trident is involved in gathering the information.
Protesters say they are willing to break the law and face a £1,000 fine and a criminal record by refusing to fill in the 32-page questionnaire. Resistance to the decennial census is growing as a coalition of anti-war groups, pacifists, religious organisations and digital activists begin raising public awareness about the role of Lockheed Martin, America’s largest arms manufacturer.
Although I am not enthusiastic about Lockheed Martin gathering the data, this is not my objection (they did, after all do the last one, so arguing about it is a bit like shutting the hanger doors after the bombing of Baghdad); it is the sheer level of intrusiveness that bothers me. I have no particular objection to name, address and possibly date of birth. Beyond that, my personal information is no business of the ONS. I am not alone in objecting to this level of intrusion, the Conservative Party has also expressed concerns.
The Conservatives said the attempt to find out sleeping arrangements was particularly objectionable.
The demand for the number of bedrooms in each home, coupled with a requirement to give the name, sex, date of birth and address of any overnight visitors, amounted to ‘bedroom snooping’, they said.
Tory Cabinet Office spokesman Nick Hurd said: ‘An increasingly invasive and intrusive census will erode public support, cost more and result in a less accurate survey.
One hopes that Nick Hurd will be lobbying the government to drop this census, wouldn’t you?
Oh…
Hypocrisy, thy name is politician. The argument being proffered that it is all too late and too expensive to cancel just doesn’t wash its face. They have managed to kill off the ID cards scheme and take the financial hit. They could do the same with this. But, no, they are going to go ahead and threaten us with fines and criminal records if we withhold personal and private information that is none of their business and of no use for the stated purposes. A population count needs to be only that; a population count. You don’t need to ask about sources of income, amounts of vehicles, who is sleeping in the house overnight – or number of bedrooms. Fortunately, it appears that they have dropped the sexuality question, although there are those interfering busybodies who still want to know.
However, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the government watchdog chaired by Trevor Phillips, has argued that it is vital to know how many gays, lesbians and bisexuals there are in Britain, where they live and what jobs they do so the progress of equality legislation can be measured.
Failure to include a question, according to a paper by the commission, would be “an indicator of invisibility” and “a major obstacle to measuring progress on tackling discrimination”.
The appropriate response to Trevor Phillips and the EHRC is; “bollocks” and “fuck off and mind your own business”.
So, I’ll be watching this with interest. I haven’t yet decided what my response to the census will be – outright refusal to complete it, or to lie. Either way, my private information will be remaining private.
As a footnote to this, it seems that Guardianista below the line have very short memories. They complain about Cameron selling us out to the Americans, while conveniently forgetting that it was a Labour government that did the deal…
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Update: The propaganda starts…
Census director Glenn Watson said the data collected was invaluable to allow local and central government, businesses and voluntary groups to plan their service provision.
Beyond name, rank and serial number, they do not need the information being demanded. They want it, which is another thing entirely.
They wouldn’t need to cancel it, just make clear that only the bare essentials need answering. I wonder if there are any back benchers prepared to take it on.
I’ll stick with the lying. I’m getting so used to it under our yoke that I feel it will not be long before I am qualified to be a politician.
My plan is to write NOYFB as an answer to anything I don’t like the look of, which is pretty much anything beyond name and address tbh.
I guess we could always ask the bods over at NO2ID for a little guidance.
ie. The minimum of answers to avoid fines etc.
I shall be “disappearing” myself from the census return – my solution to living with someone who will not countenance not filling it in (oh the “debates”….) by filling it on the household’s behalf and not including myself.
I profoundly resent the instrusiveness of the census in its developing form. Back in the 19th century it was address, name, age, relation to head of household and, eventually, occupation. That’s plenty.
Now it’s a social engineering tool and a database to be sold to “legitimate” parties (ie anyone with enough dosh). Screw ’em. And anyone who thinks they can escape by staying the night in a hotel, that won’t work because they’ll be sending round census officers to take your details. Lovely.
I think obvious lies that can’t be disproved are the best way to go…………….I think I’m going to enjoy filling in mine.
The census of this year will be a valuable resource when it is opened to the public 100 years hence. But they will not be able to read it as it is not in Urdu. Or possibly Chinese.
If I fill one in I’ll be telling porkies for sure, if their security is as good as the Inland Revenue’s, they’ll put everybodys info on a pile of DVDs and leave the lot lying at the nearest bus stop!
The allocation (or not) for local authority funding is based on census information. Anyone who refuses to fill it in cannot be surprised if the authorities therefore do not provide for them, on the basis that they do not exist.
There’s a flaw in that argument. Name rank and serial number are all that is required for a population count. My ethnicity and educational qualifications are entirely unnecessary for such planning and allocation of resources. This is about snooping and providing information for marketing.
Given that what I get from local government is limited at best, I’ll take the chance.