I WONDER on what evidence Brian Iddon MP (April 9) bases his belief that the people of Bolton will be quite happy to carry identity cards, and that only those with something to hide will be worried.

Modern democracies have been based on the notion that the people own the state, rather than the state owning the people. The closer we move towards a society in which officialdom can demand to see "your papers", the closer we move to the state owning the people.

The steps down this road now proposed should give cause for concern, even to those with nothing to hide.

The proposed measures will involve a gross invasion of privacy. Those who don't have anything to hide will be lumped in with those who do, as everyone's fingerprints or eye iris imprints will be taken and the whole population will be, in effect, criminalised.

The resulting database would form the apparatus for a frightening amount of control over the lives of everyone should it ever fall into the wrong hands.

When he first proposed identity cards, shortly after the September 11 outrage, the Home Secretary, in a television interview with John Humphrys, was more or less open about the loss of freedom they would involve.

He offered, apparently as consolation, that there would still be freedom of speech.

However, confidence that Mr Blunkett places a high premium on freedom has been somewhat shaken by his subsequent attempts, so far unsuccessful, to limit freedom of speech as well, with his proposals to outlaw language which might incite religious hatred.

Terrorism raises many difficult issues relating to the balance between protecting society and preserving civil liberties. It took many centuries to establish the freedom we have hitherto enjoyed, and it is not to be sacrificed lightly.

Although the story stated that these cards will be voluntary, my understanding is that they will be compulsory by 2010.

R Butterworth

Rawson Street

Farnworth