Burnham to scrap Starmer’s digital ID scheme in ‘reset of priorities’ | Identity cards

Andy Burnham is expected to abandon plans for Keir Starmer’s digital ID card through a “reset of priorities” when he enters Downing Street on Monday.

The new Labor leader plans to redirect funds earmarked for the plan towards tackling living costs, his team said on Saturday.

The Guardian understands the proposals are broadly designed to distract the new prime minister from the unpopular choices made by his predecessor. A petition opposing the introduction of digital ID cards had collected nearly 3 million signatures when it was announced last year.

“One of the first things this government will do is focus on where people need it now: creating breathing space and delivering the change they can feel in their daily lives,” Burnham’s spokesman said.

“This means that all the time and resources that would have been spent on the national identity plan will go where it is needed most, such as helping with living costs.

“This government is determined to bring power back to communities rather than hoarding it in Whitehall. We will work every day to bring this country back to where it belongs, with growth in every postcode and hope in every heart.”

However, it is unclear how much the decision to scrap the controversial project will save as the Starmer government has not set a clear budget for the initiative.

The Office for Budget Responsibility suggested the cost could be around £1.8 billion, but the estimate was rejected by officials.

Starmer first announced plans for a digital identity scheme last September as part of plans to tackle illegal work. It was planned to be available by 2029.

He said the proposed “Brit card” would be mandatory for people who need to prove they are allowed to work in the UK amid growing fears about illegal immigration.

In addition to the photo, the cards also included the owner’s residence status, name, date of birth and nationality.

Starmer described the rollout as a “tremendous opportunity for the UK” and said ID cards would “make it harder to work illegally in this country, making our borders safer”.

Tony Blair’s government passed a bill in 2006 to facilitate the introduction of ID cards; This sparked outrage from many privacy advocates. His plans were never put into effect and were eventually canceled by the coalition government in 2011.

The Tony Blair Institute, which the former prime minister founded after his departure from frontline politics, was one of several Labour-affiliated think tanks to welcome the new proposals put forward by Starmer.

“Make no mistake, if the government announces a universal digital identity that will help improve our public services, it will be one of the most important steps taken by this government, or any government, to simplify the daily lives of British citizens and build trust,” the government innovation director said. Alexander Iosad said.

But the plans drew widespread criticism from opposition politicians and civil rights groups.

Conservative MP David Davis said: “No system is immune to failure and we have seen time and time again that governments and tech giants fail to protect people’s personal data. If the world’s leading companies cannot protect our data, I have little faith that Whitehall can do any better.”

The party’s leader, Kemi Badenoch, did not take a definitive position but described the policy as a “disposable” announcement “designed to distract from Andy Burnham’s leadership maneuvers”.

The Liberal Democrats added that the party could not stand behind “a mandatory digital ID where people are forced to hand over their private data just to go about their daily lives”.

Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group said Labor “runs the risk of creating a digital surveillance infrastructure that will change everyone’s daily lives and establish a pre-crime state where we have to constantly prove who we are”.

In the face of this criticism, the government withdrew plans for ID cards at the beginning of this year and announced that it would be voluntary and workers would be able to verify their identity using existing documents such as passports.

In May, Karen Bradley, chair of the Conservative Party’s home affairs select committee, said that while the plan had some merit, the announcement was a “debacle” that “made little sense” to the public.

“It raised fears that the government would intervene in people’s lives, and it was so poorly thought out that they had very few answers to address those concerns,” he said.

Sources close to Burnham said despite the ruling he remained committed to the previous government’s “crackdown” on illegal work, which led to nearly 9,000 arrests last year.

Right to work checks are expected to remain mandatory for all employers; The new legislation is expected to expand verification to the gig economy, including parcel couriers and delivery drivers.

Liberal Democrat cabinet spokeswoman Lisa Smart said: “People will be very relieved to know they will no longer be forced to hand over their data just to go about their daily lives.

“We have long said that obscene amounts of money allocated for digital identity would be a huge waste of taxpayers’ money, and it is a relief that Burnham has realized this.”

The decision to abandon the plan altogether is likely to cause further unrest among tech experts already angry at proposals to abolish the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology as part of a wider Whitehall shake-up.

Burnham asked officials to come up with plans that would incorporate more of the department into a stronger labor department.