Compulsory digital ID plan axed as Labour performs another U-turn, reports say
Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly scrapped plans for a mandatory digital identity scheme for workers following opposition to the idea from across political divides.
Last year the prime minister said Labor would introduce a digital ID system that would be optional in most cases but mandatory for right-to-work checks.
But plans were disrupted on Tuesday night Times ministers have reportedly stepped back on the mandatory element by allowing other digital documents to be used for right-to-work checks.
This brings the number of U-turns Labor has made since the 2024 general election to at least nine, and some say as high as 13.
Civil rights groups, as well as Reform UK and the Conservatives, have floated the idea of a compulsory ID scheme, which the government announced just four months ago to curb illegal immigration.
In September the prime minister announced the introduction of the “Brit card” to make it harder for people without the right to work to find work.
But now a government source says a mandatory element of the plan is to “stop conversations about what digital IDs can be used for in general”.
The government is under pressure to clear out migrant hotels and reduce the number of small boat crossings.
Source told Times: “Backing back on mandatory use cases would remove one of the main points of contention. We don’t want to risk some 65-year-olds in rural areas being prevented from working because they don’t wear their ID card.”
The digital Brit card, downloaded onto a smartphone, is designed to verify an individual’s right to live and work in the UK, similar to the system in Estonia where citizens are issued unique identification numbers.
Employers will need to check the card of everyone they want to employ, and in doing so a record will be created that will be shared with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This will allow the ministry to check whether all employers are complying with the rules.
Right-to-work checks will now still be mandatory, and other forms of documentation such as electronic visas or passports are also expected to be valid.
A consultation is expected to begin within a few weeks to explore what verification checks could be used.
A government spokesman said: “We are committed to mandatory digital right-to-work checks. We have always been clear that details of the digital identity scheme will be determined following a comprehensive public consultation starting shortly.
“Digital ID will make daily life easier for people, enabling public services to be more personal, unified and effective, while remaining inclusive.”
Conservative shadow Cabinet Secretary Mike Wood said: “While we welcome the abolition of compulsory identification, this is another humiliating U-turn by the Government.
“Keir Starmer’s spinelessness is becoming the pattern, not the exception.”
Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said: “To cope with all the U-turns, No 10 needs to order motion sickness tablets in bulk at this rate.
“It was clear from the beginning that this was a proposal doomed to failure and would cost taxpayers an inordinate amount of money to deliver absolutely nothing.”
