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The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, in a test flight over the Chesapeake Bay. Photograph: Lockheed Martin/APPeople 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).

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 really worrying thing is the fact that the information being collected in the next census – including new questions on sources of income and place of birth [to help monitor immigration] – would be ideal fodder for the kind of anti-terror analyses being carried out by Lockheed, and could lead to a faraway database identifying thousands of us as potential ‘threats’.”

Lockheed Martin – which does 80% of its work for the US defence department – assists more than two dozen American government agencies and is involved in surveillance and data processing for the CIA and FBI. It has controversially provided private contract interrogators to the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and Guantánamo Bay in Cuba. All US-based companies are subject to the Patriot Act, which allows the US government to have access to any data in the company’s possession. Campaigners have warned this could give the US government access to detailed and personal data on the UK’s entire population.

But a spokesman for the ONS dismissed the fears. “No personal census data will be handled or seen by any American-owned company. No Lockheed Martin employees will see or handle any personal census data. The public can be reassured that their personal details from the census will be kept confidential and will remain so for 100 years,” he said.

That assurance has failed to convince objectors. According to Geoff Meaden, a peace campaigner and former Green party parliamentary candidate, “we have no legal precedence as to whether, under the pretext of national security, this census information can be acquired by the US government.

“The Office for National Statistics claims that our data will be safe but the UK government has demonstrated on several occasions that it cannot be trusted with managing digital data containing personal records.”

Simon Barrow, co-director of the Christian thinktank Ekklesia, which examines the role of religion, ethics and values in public life, said: “There are several reasons for concern over Lockheed Martin’s involvement in the census. The government may have endangered the census by granting the contract to a company whose involvement has triggered a boycott.

“Many British people are likely to object to aiding the profits of a company that arms oppressive regimes and which has played a heavy role in the unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is understandable that some will conscientiously object to participating in the census and will choose to boycott it.”

Any boycott of the census could lead to further funding problems for local councils, who already fear they will miss out on hundreds of millions of pounds of funding from central government because hundreds of thousands of people will not be counted.

The last census in 2001 has been accused of failing to count a million people and this time a number of major councils have expressed fears that lessons have not been learnt, a claim denied by the Office for National Statistics.

Census statistics are used to allocate public money for local services including education, housing, transport and health. Over £100bn per year of public money is distributed nationally using population estimates.

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2.    FROM DAVID SHARROCK OF THE LONDON OBSERVER, Feb 16

—–Original Message—–
From: David S    Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 5:25 AM
To: susan.thompson    at    vivelecanada.ca
Cc: sabest1   at     sasktel.net
Subject: lockheed and UK census – from David Sharrock of the London Observer

Hi there,

I’m researching an article for my paper about Lockheed and the calls for a boycott of next month’s national UK census because of Lockheed’s involvement and I would love to get your views and experiences.

Best wishes,

David

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3.    REPLY TO DAVID –  CANADIAN EXPERIENCE WITH LOCKHEED MARTIN IN CENSUS,  Feb 16 

Good to hear from you David!

I was in contact by email with a couple of people from the UK,  2-3 years ago when people were speaking out.  I recall a woman with the Green Party. I have intended to get back in touch with them, to see whether the opposition is ramping up, with your census imminent. 

I am happy to hear that there is a call for boycott in the UK. Will get this news out into Canadian networks.  We are calling for the same here.  Our census is in May.  We have only recently been able to crack the mainstream media’s reluctance to talk about Lockheed Martin’s role in the Canadian, US and UK censuses.  The Americans are probably most in the dark about who is behind their “census bureau” (their census was last year).

In addition to Vive le Canada’s involvement:

– Don Rogers from Ontario runs www.countmeout.ca  (In response to the Govt’s “Count Me In” campaign in 2006.)  Don’s blog is up and going for May.

– www.sandrafinley.ca, my own blog.  To find the Lockheed Martin file, an INDEX to the postings:  go to the “Pages” on top left.  Look for “Lockheed Martin” on the drop-down list.   

My personal experience:

–  In 2008 I was charged for failure to comply with the 2006 census.  I didn’t comply because of Lockheed Martin’s involvement.

–  The trial dragged on, to advantage.  The “guilty” decision followed by an absolute discharge (sentencing) just came out in January 2011.  The focus of media attention was thereby delayed until a few months before the 2011 census.  We have been building awareness since 2003.

–  The judge’s decision is under appeal.  The legal argument (defence) in Canada, given the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is the Charter Right to privacy of personal information. There is a strong case to be made that the Judge (Provincial Court, a lower court) erred in her decision. 

Just this week I sent an email to the new Chief Statistician for Canada (responsible for the census).  The link to it is at the top of the INDEX.  You might find it useful (scroll past the introductory remarks regarding the police/military). 

Please ask if you have any questions I might be able to help you with.  

Best wishes,

Sandra Finley

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4.  FROM DAVID, Feb 16 and 17th 

Feb 16th

this is great Sandra, many thanks – will get stuck into reading it all now!

Best wishes,

David

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Feb 17

Sandra, perhaps you could give me a quote for my piece? Along the lines of telling people thinking of boycotting the census next month but fearful of breaking the law why you think this issue is sufficiently important for you to have taken a stand – and I guess you are going to do the same again with your own census in May?
Best wishes,
David

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Mon 2/21/2011 2:40 PM 

SORRY DAVID, 

I missed this in my inbox until today.

I think it is too late.

Your piece is already published. 

Sandra 

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5.  EMAIL TO GEOFF MEADEN AND OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE PROTEST OF LOCKHEED MARTIN IN U.K. CENSUS, FEB 18.   

SENT:  Fri 2/18/2011 2:52 AM     (versions also sent to the Green Party, to the Quakers (“Friends”),  and to a couple of others)

Dear Geoff Meaden, 

The Canadian census follows yours by a month.  

I have posted information related to Lockheed Martin’s involvement in censuses to a blog so it is available to more people.  It’s an issue “our network” has worked on since 2003. 

North America, including Canada where I am from, is under-going a transformation that is driven by transnational corporate interests.  We are moving closer and closer to a police state.  I encourage people to take a firm stand against Lockheed Martin’s involvement in their census, down to boycotting.  The assembled information makes the case.   There are a number of issues in the wider picture. 

“IBM and the Holocaust” (2001) by investigative journalist Edwin Black is the fascinating story of the role of mechanized census data in Nazi Europe.   There is a link to a description of the book on www.sandrafinley.ca (Look for “Lockheed Martin .. census” under “Pages”). 

David Sharrock from the London Observer contacted me.  See the email thread below.   It explains things further. 

Best wishes,

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Hello people at CAAT,    (Campaign Against Arms Trade)   http://www.caat.org.uk/  

I wish to express solidarity with you.  And with the people of Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere whose lives and lands are destroyed by the military-industrial complex.  Number one player, Lockheed Martin Corporation. 

I have been on trial for refusal to comply with the 2006 Canadian census.   There are times when you have to draw your line in the sand.   … ETC.

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6.    EXCHANGE WITH GEOFF MEADEN.   FEET KISSED?  And  “We, I believe like you, face a ghastly electoral system which we call “first-past-post” under which it is almost impossible for us to gain electoral success. So we are run by genetically produced Conservatives who stand for little else other than big business, economic growth and development and the maintenance of the status quo.”

From: Geoff Meaden      Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 6:04 AM
To: Sandra Finley
Subject: Re: lockheed and UK census – from David Sharrock of the London Observer 

Sandra, 

How absolutely wonderful for you to make contact with me. This Lockheed Martin issue is something I have been following for a couple of years now, i.e. as soon as I heard about this grotesque tie-up between our Office of National Statistics and LM. Like most people I knew nothing about the fact that LM had been involved in our 2001 census. Unfortunately I (like you it seems) am extremely busy in a host of other causes and, though recently retired, am working almost full time for the UN (as a fisheries adviser). So – I do not have a lot of time to push this census thing – but we must do our best.  

Anyway, as soon as I read your message this morning I got onto David Sharrock by email. He has just phoned me back and it looks like he will be doing a piece for this Sunday’s Observer newspaper. This will be great because it is a major national paper with several million readers. So, Sandra if it gets published I should be on the first flight to the John Diefenbaker airport where I will publically kiss your feet!!! 

I do hope that your local Green Party is flourishing. We, I believe like you, face a ghastly electoral system which we call “first-past-post” under which it is almost impossible for us to gain electoral success. So we are run by genetically produced Conservatives who stand for little else other than big business, economic growth and development and the maintenance of the status quo. I read in yesterday’s paper that (and I quote) “Mr Fox (our national defence secretary) said that MP’s would not be given a vote on whether to press ahead with ordering the replacements for our fleet of Trident nuclear submarines.” (manufactured of course by LM). Can you imagine living in a country where MP’s are not even allowed to participate in this level of decision because of course they might vote the wrong way! 

Keep in touch. 

Geoff

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FEB 18

It’s -23 celsius today.  You just added a whole lot of warmth and sunshine Geoff!  And some laughter to lighten up the day.  Many thanks for taking the time. 

I’d rather have a laugh; otherwise we’d be crying in our beer together.   The script you wrote is transferable to Canada:  We, I believe like you, face a ghastly electoral system which we call “first-past-post” under which it is almost impossible for us to gain electoral success. So we are run by genetically produced Conservatives who stand for little else other than big business, economic growth and development and the maintenance of the status quo. 

In all the mess, Saskatchewan is in a terrible and strategic situation.  The Alberta tar sands don’t end at the border with next-door Saskatchewan.  It’s as though the climate change issue is going to be decided right here.   We have become a petro-state.  The destruction of the boreal forest, a beautiful land of lakes and trees in the northern half of this province, capable of sustaining the largely First Nations and Metis people that live there, is in the process of going the way of the Niger Delta, the fate of the Ogoni people.  The movie “Avatar” is a perfect description. 

What you are seeing in the fisheries – – all I can say is Thank Goodness for you and the work you are doing. 

But Hey!  We are going to get past all this.  As long as I can live long enough. 

We are looking at upcoming elections, federally (expected anytime soon) and provincially (Nov).   Elizabeth May, our Federal leader is wonderful.  She and the Party are working our buns off –  there’s a real chance of getting her elected, in spite of  f-p-p.  

Will keep in touch, 

Have fun!

Sandra

Ghetts’s new track, Invisible, is part of a drive to persuade ethnic minorities to fill in the census. Photograph: www.invisible2011.com”Some don’t know what a census is,” the London grime artist Ghetts begins, “some do but they don’t see the sense in it.” Over a catchy hook and with a flashy video to accompany, his new track, “Invisible”, seems to be part of the government’s drive to persuade young people and ethnic minorities to fill in this year’s national census population survey.

But there is a small fact they are failing to mention in the promotional material. In December 2008, the government quietly awarded the £150m contract to collect and securely handle the 2011 census data to Lockheed Martin, the second-largest arms manufacturer in the world. It makes bombs, bomber jets and has run most of the US military’s intelligence gathering and interrogation, including at Guantánamo Bay, where it operated through subsidiary companies. Nice people to be doing business with.

Even if we ignore the fact that Lockheed Martin sits at No 1 on the Pogo Federal Contractor Misconduct database, with more than 50 alleged cases of corruption, fraud, bribery, environmental damage and discrimination, there’s worse to come. As a US-owned company, under the post-9/11 USA Patriot Act, Lockheed Martin can be forced to hand over any private data in its possession to the US government and/or the CIA. It doesn’t make the government’s promises to keep our data safe sound quite so reassuring.

All this raises the question: was Ghetts fully aware of what he was getting himself into? It is difficult to envisage him being talked through the intricacies of the US military machine before the track was made. Surely if Lockheed Martin has been awarded such a huge contract to carry out the census, its name should be plastered across every song, poster and advertisement that encourages people to fill it in?

Even if we discount the possibility that Lockheed Martin could or would do anything untoward with our personal data, and even if we ignore accusations of the government selling on our census data to third parties in the past, the fact remains that £150m of taxpayers’ money has been directly channelled into a company that profits from and enables war and destruction. That is unacceptable.

What the Ghetts track makes clear is that young people, those who have never filled in a census before, are the government’s target audience. And the choice has been made clear: fill in the census, or you are breaking the law and could end up in prison. Or, as Ghetts rhymes: “Just remember this, if minorities don’t fill in the form, what’s the point of living in Britain at all?”

Surely all British citizens have a right to live here, regardless of whether or not they feel like giving Lockheed Martin and the British government their personal data? It would certainly be interesting to get Ghetts’s side of the story: first, how much was he paid to make the song, and second, will he be filling in the part about the “names, sex and birth dates of any overnight guests”? I, for one, will certainly not.