What is the plan for digital ID cards and will they be mandatory?
The government has revealed plans to roll out a digital ID scheme across the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stating that this will protect the country's
by the end of the Parliament," implying that it will be held no later than August 2029, which by law must be held before the next general election.borders are more secure. The IDs will no longer have to be carried day to day, but they will be required for anyone seeking to work. The government claims that the scheme will be carried out
Why is the government introducing digital ID cards?
The digital IDs will be used to establish a person's right to live and work in the United Kingdom. They will be similar to the NHS App or digital bank cards in that they will be based on an app-based system, which will be carried on smartphones in a similar way to the Nokia App or virtual bank cards. Information regarding the holders' residence status, name, date of birth, nationality, and photograph will be included. Sir Keir confirmed the scheme:
The government claims that the initiative is intended to reduce illegal immigration by making it impossible for people without a visa to seek jobs. Ministers claim that this is one of the main reasons for migrants entering the country unlawfully. Employers will no longer be able to rely on a National Insurance number - which is now used as part of employment authorization - or paper-based checks. At the moment, borrowing, stealing, or using someone else's National Insurance number is very straightforward, and it is part of the shadow economy's burgeoning problem - people sharing National Insurance numbers, for example. The theory is that you'll have a photograph attached, which would make it - in theory - impossible to abuse the device. However, Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch saID that although there are argumentsYou will not be eligible to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital IDentification. It's as simple as that.
for and againstdigital IDentification, making it mandatory
requires a balanced national dialogue.Can we really trust [Labour] to deliver an expensive national program that will influence all of our lives and place additional strains on law abiding people?
liberalshe wrote in a post on X. I doubt it. Shadow Attorney General Ben Maguire of
told the BBC that the party wasstruggling to see how the policy would have a positive effect on illegal migration.
Will digital ID be compulsory and what else could it be used for?
Any UK resIDents and legal resIDents will have digital ID, which will be mandatory in order to work. However, a digital ID for students, pensioners, or others not seeking employment is not required. It will not work like a traditional identity card, according to officials, and no one will be allowed to carry it in public. Ministers have ruled out requiring the ID to obtain health care or welfare benefits. However, the system is expected to work with several government agencies in order to make applications more accessible and reduce fraud. Digital IDs, according to the government, would make it possible to apply for programs such as driving licences, childcare, and welfare. It also said that tax records would be made more available, according to the company.
Will people who don't have a smartphone need a digital ID card?
The government has promised that the program would be inclusive
and serve those without smartphones, passports, or reliable internet access. A public consultation that is set to be launched later this year will explore alternatives, whether physical records or face-to-face assistance for groups such as older people or the homeless.
Which other countries already have ID cards?
The UK government has confirmed that it will take the best features
of digital ID systems used around the world, including Estonia, Australia, Denmark, and India. Each of these countries has its own unique system, but all use it as a way for individuals to identify themselves when accessing such government or financial services. Many other countries use digital ID of one sort or another, including Singapore, Greece, France, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, the United Arab Emirates, China, Costa Rica, South Korea, and Afghanistan.
Has the UK tried to introduce ID cards before?
Yes. In the early 2000s, Tony Blair's Labour government approved voluntary ID cards. However, the scheme was scrapped in 2011 by the Conservative-led coalition, who claimed that it was too costly and complicated. During wartime, the United Kingdom only had compulsory ID cards. Winston Churchill's government kept them in place for several years after World War II, but they were scrapped in 1952 after protests over costs and police use.
Why are some people against digital ID?
Civil rights organizations claim that even a limited digital ID could lead to a more complex device, raising questions over privacy, data security, and government overreaching. Big Brother Watch, along with seven other organisations, has written to the prime minister, urging him to abandon the scheme, saying that it will
No system is immune to failure," he said, and he cautioned that governments and tech firms have repeatedly failed to shield personal information from hackers.push unauthorised migrants further into the shadows. On the UK Parliament website, more than 900,000 people have signed a petition opposing the introduction of digital ID cards. A petition with more than 100,000 signatures is being considered for a vote in Parliament. DavID Davis, a former Conservative cabinet minister who campaigned against Labour's ID card scheme in the 2000s, is among the many prominent opponents.
