[News Story] - Boycott the UK Census

[#1]

Hi All
Just seen this:
[quote="Boycott the UK census over links to Lockheed Martin, protesters say"]
We're ready to face £1,000 fine, declare anti-war protesters in row over role of US arms firm Lockheed Martin in data gathering
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.
The company, which makes Trident nuclear missiles, cluster bombs and F-16 fighter jets, won the £150m contract to run the census on behalf of the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

[#2]

what a load of rubbish - typical Guardian
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2008/0828_lmuk-2011-census.html

Quote

Lockheed Martin Awarded £150M Contract to Support 2011 Census for England and Wales, and Northern Ireland London, UK, August 28th, 2008 -- Today, Lockheed Martin UK and its industry team were selected by the Office for National Statistics to support the 2011 Census for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  The approximately £150M contract award comes after an extensive competition which required the Lockheed Martin UK-led team to demonstrate its ability to provide secure and accurate data capture and processing support services. "We are proud to again support the Office for National Statistics in conducting its census," said Ian Stopps, chief executive of Lockheed Martin UK.  "Together, with our industry team, we are committed to delivering a system that enables the government to efficiently and effectively perform the 2011 Census while ensuring that all information remains secure and confidential" Lockheed Martin, who successfully provided the data capture elements of the 2001 UK Census, as well as previous censuses for Canada and the United States, has created a consortium of UK-based companies with proven experience. Team members are Broadcasting Support Services (bss), Cable & Wireless, Logica (UK) Ltd, Oracle Corporation UK, Polestar Group, Royal Mail, Steria Ltd, and UK Data Capture Ltd. Working with the ONS and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) authorities, the team will design, install and support an innovative system using state-of-the-art character recognition and colour processing for paper census forms. The system will, for the first time, allow for census questionnaires to be completed via the Internet in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

[#3]

Quote from: Oldjim

what a load of rubbish - typical Guardian

Huh?  Did you read the Guardian article, seems quite accurate to me, and is really a report on the boycotter's.
However, in terms of what the Guardian article says, and what the press release says, they seem perfectly in sync to me.
This is a dispute not where the facts are in dispute, but where a moral question is being raised, are you happy for large US defence company to be handling a large part of the UK census data.
I'm at a loss to see what your calling rubbish, unless you are just prejudiced against the Guardian and believe most or perhaps all of what they print is rubbish.

[#4]

I should have been clearer.
The rubbish was not referring to the content insofar as it reports the intentions of a small extreme group or groups it was that the Guardian thinks that the actions of a small minority of activists are worthy of a headline in a national paper.
This paragraph clearly shows why they are doing it. It is to further their campaign against the current wars not because the consortium won't do a good job or that the data won't be safe

Quote

A spokesman for the Stop the War Coalition said: "We will certainly be calling for a boycott and telling people not co-operate with the warmongers." The Green party has dropped its original opposition to Lockheed Martin's lead role "because the census is extremely important and needs to be accurate", but there is grassroots disquiet. A campaign to address the issue, bringing together religious groups, peace activists and digital data campaigners opposed to Lockheed Martin, is expected to emerge in the coming days. One of its organisers has told the Observer that a call for a boycott would be one of its major considerations. Siân Berry, a former Green party member who led the party's 2008 campaign against Lockheed's bid for the contract, said she was disappointed by the decision to support the census.

The fact that they did the 2001 census successfully doesn't seem to matter, It appears that because they are also an arms firm this allows the various pacifist groups to campaign for a boycott because they are anti war.
The fact is that we want as reliable a census result as we can and if they heve the best technology for  state-of-the-art character recognition and colour processing for paper census forms we should use it.

[#5]

Let's face it, people will always find something to protest about 
I, for one, won't be risking a £1,000 fine for not completing the census forms.

[#6]

Well put, Jim.... I was going to point out that about the previous census... and don`t recall any "protest" then....
I would also venture to suggest that the "protestors" are two faced ........
are they not using the very same technology that the "warmongers". are using?  computers, internet, mobile phones. sat navs.
technology that enables them to protest in "peace".... that has been perfected by the warmongers they so despise...

[#7]

I see the census as a necessary evil and will complete my form when it arrives.  Why risk a fine unnecessarily? I understand that any people failing to fill the form out will receive a visit from an enforcement officer and be interviewed under caution. 

[#8]

Not true.
You will get several visits from somebody who will try to persuade you to fill in the form, or assist you if you have problems in doing so.
The enforcement bits come much later.

[#9]

Not according to a report in the Times a few weeks back.  They are taking a much stronger line this time because of the problems they had with getting certain people to complete the last census.

[#10]

Well last time round as far as I could tell there was no enforcement.
I didn't receive a census, and then I got two visits, on both occasions they wanted me to complete it with them there and then but I was busy, on both occasions I tried to get them to leave me the form, but they said they would come back.
The 2nd visit was the last I ever heard about it, so I am missing from the last census, which might cause my family descendants some problems in years to come if they are using it to try and trace me.

[#11]

this is where I should have posted...

Quote

Isn`t it strange....... it is compulsory to complete the census form....... with criminal charges if you fail to do so.... yet.... it is not compulsory to vote in elections

[#12]

Wonder how many 'Jedi' there will be in this Census
In England and Wales 390,127 people (almost 0.8%) stated their religion as Jedi on their 2001 Census forms, surpassing Sikhism, Judaism, and Buddhism, and making it the fourth largest reported religion in the countries.[10] In the 2001 Census 2.6% of the population of Brighton claimed to be Jedi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon#England_and_Wales

[#13]

It makes you wonder about the accuracy of the rest of the information as well doesn't it